


A Summoner's Journey Towards Redemption

by brokenangelintheground



Category: Final Fantasy X, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 69, Anal, Black Mage/Sword Fighter!Scott, Blow Job, Bottom!Stiles, Butt plug/cock ring, Fingering, Gratuitous Smut, M/M, Seer!Lydia, Summoner/Blitz Player!Stiles, Threesome, Top!Derek, bottom!Derek, fluff-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-11
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-04-03 21:57:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 41,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4116274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenangelintheground/pseuds/brokenangelintheground
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles is a summoner. </p><p>Through prayer, Stiles has the ability to call upon The Fayth- an ethereal entity that gives power to summoners in the form of Aeons. Having been born in the frigid lands of Macalania, Stiles was particularly fond of his very first aeon- Shiva, the ice goddess. With the help of his guardian, Scott, the pair set of on their pilgrimage to defeat Sin- an entity of death and destruction- Spira's punishment for their past transgressions. </p><p>Stiles' journey, however, comes to a screeching halt when the unthinkable happens.</p><p>(This is Stiles' story as he comes to terms with the unthinkable and begins a new chapter in his life. He will face great hardships and only with the help of his friends, some unknown to him yet, will he be able to determine the course of his future.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> UPDATED AS OF 1/18/16
> 
> Writing this has been so cathartic lately and I am over the moon for being able to finish this. I am truly proud of what I have written, even if it isn't the best piece on this site. 
> 
> Please take the time to comment- it would mean the world to me.

“Scott, behind you!” Stiles warned, thrusting his staff towards his friend, a flash of white emanating from the tip as a small wall of light surrounded Scott.

“Much obliged, Stiles!” Scott covered his head as the giant sword of the iron giant struck the shield, staggering backwards as it shattered. Scott was on his feet in a flash, brandishing his sword in front of him. Stiles watched as Scott placed the blade upon his lips, breathing an incantation, igniting the steel with a fiery glow seconds later.

“Take this you overgrown suit of armor!” Scott yelled as he lunged forward, steel scratching steel as the sword found its mark. Stiles stood closely by, ready to act should Scott need the aid. Scott continued to slice at the beast and yet Stiles could see the steel monster was far from tired. They needed help.

That’s where Stiles came in.  

Stiles lifted his staff towards the sky, feeling the wind around him chill as he prayed towards the heavens. **The Fayth** rewarded his call as three enormous crystals fell from the sky, the **aeon Shiva** following soon after. The crystals shattered and she materialized, sending a blinding chill in all directions. Shiva acknowledged Stiles, the latter bowing his head.

“I seek your aid, Shiva, if you would give it.” In answer, Shiva rushed forward towards the giant, shards of ice left in her path where her feet fell. Scott sensed the arrival of Stiles’ most favored aeon and extinguished the flame on his sword, striking a low blow to the giant’s body, forcing it backward. He rolled out of the way just as Shiva let ice rain on top of the beast with a snap of her fingers. The giant let out an inhuman screech as it fell to the ground, moments later dissolving into air, the spirit of the beast sent to the **Farplane** for eternity.

Just when they thought they had time to rest, more fiends emerged from the line of trees. Stiles gripped his staff tightly in hand as they attacked. Shiva made quick work of the **simhurg** , breathing life to an ice dagger which she lunged at the winged beast. Scott came up beside her, slicing into the **garm** that lunged towards them. A second garm bounded its way towards Stiles, teeth gleaming as it snarled. Stiles thrust his staff forward, the end finding purchase with the beast’s head.

A strong yelp emanated from the beast’s mouth as it fell to the ground momentarily. Stiles closed his eyes, lifting his staff high above his head, willing a ray of pure energy to rain down on the beast. Anguished cry met the end of the beast as Stiles’ magic sent its soul to the Farplane. Stiles collapsed to the ground, his body rejecting the amount of energy it took for such a spell. Scott was immediately at his side, his arm around Stiles’ waist for support. Shiva walked over to them, watching idly as Stiles struggled to stay conscious.

“Thank you, Shiva. Your assistance is most appreciated.” Shiva bowed her head before glancing towards the sky as she drifted upwards, rejoining the heavens. Scott guided Stiles to a fallen branch, setting him down gently to rest.

“That was some light,” Scott praised, handing Stiles his canteen. Stiles grunted in thanks as he emptied the sack of its liquid, not realizing until that moment how thirsty he was.

“Are you alright? I thought I saw that dog bite you.”

“I’m good. Just a little nick in my leg is all,” he waves off as he showed the wound. Stiles saw the blood slide down his leg, the dark substance oddly mesmerizing.

“Let me see it,” Stiles beckoned, setting his canteen down, his wits returning to him quickly. He patted the ground next to him as Scott made his way over. Scott tried to conceal the pain as he lowered himself, but the grunt that left his breath betrayed him.

“Just a nick, my ass.” Scott laughed as he settled on his elbows, letting his head fall back. Stiles reached towards his bag, removing a piece of cloth and vial of water. Stiles was still learning white magic. He was able to master the physical side of the art much more quickly than the healing magic. To compensate, Stiles learned how to tend to minor wounds with medicines and herbs. Most days he preferred it; he enjoyed the process of it. It was soothing. Stiles washed the wound on Scott’s leg clean, doing his best to make it bearable. Scott showed no sign of pain however, as Stiles ran a piece of cloth over the cut, clearing the debris.

“How far to the next temple?” Scott asked as Stiles began wrapping the wound, mumbling a brief prayer over the cloth before slapping his leg.

“Two miles, give or take. We should be there by midday- maybe sundown, given your leg.”

“My leg is fine,” Scott said haughtily, pulling himself up in order to prove himself. Stiles laughed as he gathered their things, fastening his staff across his back. Stiles clapped Scott on the shoulder before setting off towards **Djose Temple**.

“Let’s just hope no more fiends attack.”

**

“It is an honor to have you and your **guardian** with us here at Djose Temple, Lord Stiles.”

“We appreciate your hospitality, Lady Michaela,” Stiles replies, bowing low. “If it is alright with you, we would like to rest a bit before facing the Trials. I’m afraid the fiends have not given us a chance to rest since **Luca**.”

“Absolutely, my lord. We have your chambers prepared right this way. There will be food as well as any medicinal supplies you may need.” Stiles and Scott followed Lady Michaela across the foyer and through the large, crimson curtains leading into their room. Stiles’ stomach rumbled immediately at the sight of the spread of food left waiting for them. He hadn’t had a chance to stop since Luca, and the adrenaline coursing through him kept his mind off of food until that moment.

“Do not hesitate to ask if you need assistance.”

“Thank you,” Stiles and Scott answered simultaneously.

“I don’t know how these people live here,” Scott drawled the moment Lady Michaela left the room. He hobbled over to his bed, to which Stiles held his tongue. He knew Scott was just putting on a show, and he was grateful to have a guardian- a friend, who would put his life before his own. Stiles sampled the blueberries, eyes fluttering shut as the sweet juices slid down his throat.  

“Do you have to complain about every temple we visit, Scotty?” Stiles slipped out of his shoes and dipped his hands in the bowl of warm water next to his bed, rubbing the sweat and dirt from his face before making a plate of food for Scott.  

“Ever since we got here the hair on my body won’t settle. It stands at attention like a stiff-

“You do remember what aeon I pray to at this temple, don’t you?” Stiles interrupts, laughing as he sets his own plate on the table beside his bed. He takes a drink of water, the cool liquid reviving his senses as he settles into bed.   

“I know, but complaining makes this journey a lot more fun.” Stiles laughs again as he lowers his head to the pillow, swallowing the pain that strikes him so suddenly.

Stiles’ body was sore.

They haven’t had a break since Luca. Stiles and Scott had stayed for the finals of the **Blitzball** tournament, a little bummed to see the Zanarkand Abes take the trophy again this year. Stiles used to play blitzball when he was younger, before he decided to train with the maestors to become a summoner back home in Macalania. He was one of the youngest players in the league. His team, The Macalania Misfits, aptly named for their motley crew, made it to the finals the year before he quit, but were taken down by the Zanarkand Abes.   

Stiles missed playing.

He missed the roar of the crowd when his name was announced before every match. How the crowd jumped up and down, stomping their chants loud enough for Stiles to hear, despite being surrounded by water. He especially missed the championship matches. The ones that were held at night were an experience to witness. Fireworks would constantly illuminate the night sky as the two best teams of the league fought valiantly for bragging rights.

But Stiles chose to give up that life to become a summoner. He had realized that his life wasn’t going in the direction he wanted. Sure, the fame was great. Being recognized all over Spira as one of the best Blitzball players was reward enough (although, admittedly, being famous made Stiles’ sex life ten times better) but he had nothing to look forward to after retiring. He remembered his mother telling him about his grandfather, who was a summoner. It took him a while to find the courage necessary to come to the conclusion that he wanted to follow in his steps.

Sacrificing one’s self for the good of Spira was no easy feat, and Stiles knew that once his mind was set, there was no turning back. Stiles choked down the rising bile in his throat, his eyes suddenly full of tears as he turned over on his side, a small whimper leaving his lips.

“You okay, dude?”

“Yeah,” he lied, blinking back tears as he pulled the covers over his head. “Just a little sore. Wake me if I sleep past sunrise?”

“Will do, boss.”

**

“He’s so beautiful John.”

“He has your eyes, of course.”

“Your strong chin.”

“He even has your cute moles.” The woman laughed as she gently slid her finger over the baby’s face, connecting the two prevalent moles on the newborn’s cheek. The baby cooed lightly, yawning as his eyes fluttered about, staring at nothing in particular. His hand jerked upwards and wrapped itself around his mother’s index finger, squeezing tight with no intention of letting go.

“Are you sure about the name? It seems like a mouthful.”

“It is my grandfather’s name, who, need I remind you, was a well-respected summoner who brought the calm in his time.” John rolled his eyes at his wife, sighing as he sat back in his chair.

“You’re right, but I get the feeling your choice of a name bears intent of him following your ancestor’s path. Which is honorable, it is, but I would not see my son’s life end before my own.” It was his wife’s turn to roll her eyes as she handed the baby to the nurse who entered the room at that moment.

“His path will be his own to take, when he is ready. Should that path lead him towards the Fayth, so be it. And should it lead him towards other ventures, I will still be proud because he is our son.” John rose from his chair and kissed his wife, caressing her face.

“Words cannot express how much I love you, Claudia.”

“Or I, you, John.”

**

Stiles’ body was weak, his mind weaker still as he felt the power of the Fayth invade his body. He had no other way of describing the pain that he felt whenever he prayed to the Fayth. Every muscle in his body burned with the intensity of the sun, his heart beating so fast he could feel the pressure in his feet.  Stiles knew the pain would be worth the outcome. He knew that he had to push past the pain- ignore it, no- embrace it. Without pain, he wouldn’t be granted the Fayth’s power. He needed to experience their pain. Their suffering as they left the physical world.

Stiles wasn’t sure how long he’d been in the Chamber of the Fayth, but he was finally able to leave, their blessing of the aeon **Ixion** now within his grasp.

As Stiles rose from the floor, the memory he had experienced consumed his thoughts. He was but a baby when that memory took place and yet, he can remember every detail. Perhaps the Fayth had helped in this venture, giving him insight of his past for reasons unknown? He decided to worry himself later and cast the memory aside.  

Stiles used his staff for support as he half walked, half hobbled his way out of the chamber. Light invaded his eyes as the doors parted for him. Scott rushed up the stairs to help him, grabbing his waist as Stiles let his arm fall around his neck.

“I’ll never understand why the Fayth make it so difficult for you to pray to them,” Scott said lightly as they made their way back out of the chamber.

“It is to test if I am worthy. Each Fayth is different, Scotty.” Scott grunted noncommittally, guiding Stiles out. As the pair descended the stairs into the foyer of the temple, they noticed commotion just inside the main doors. There were priests and priestesses pacing around, all of them looking worried. Stiles pulled himself into an upright position and walked free of Scott’s aid. His body bellowed in protest but Stiles forced the screams silent. He walked down the stairs, swallowing down the pain as Lady Michaela approached him.

“My lord!” Lady Michaela looked distraught. Her eyes were wide with fear and sorrow, strands of hair once tightly pulled back behind her now dancing freely around her chin.

“What’s wrong?”

“Sin has been sighted at the **Isle of Besaid** ,” she said solemnly, eyes wet with tears. Stiles looked around the room, all eyes on him suddenly. Sin is a common occurrence throughout Spira. Granted, it’s been a while since it has attacked, but the way everyone stared at him made Stiles uneasy. He looked to Scott, the latter looking both grim and confused.

“Forgive me, Lady Michaela. I understand that Sin appearing is something we all dread and fear, but why is everyone this distraught? Everyone here is acting as if I should be more devastated by its appearance.” Lady Michaela’s gaze dropped to the floor, everyone around them returning to their business. Stiles waited, allowing her to collect her thoughts. She wiped the tears from her eyes but the sadness remained.

“I am so sorry to be the one to tell you this, my lord, but your father was found on the shores of Besaid after the attack. He is dead, my lord.”

**

“Stilinski! Get your ass in here!”

The locker room broke out into snickers as Stiles sighed, eyes rolling as he tossed his towel over his shoulder. He slipped into his pants before joining Coach Finstock in his office. Finstock was huddled over his desk, fingers sliding enthusiastically over his holographic PDA. He didn’t acknowledge Stiles’ presence until he was finished, turning in his chair with a glare that could curdle dairy.

“What’s up, coach?”

“I don’t get it, Stilinski,” he started, Stiles preparing for the berating of a lifetime. He fucked up. He knew he did. Twenty seconds left in the match and what does he decide to do? Ignore his teammates and shoot from halfway across the stadium. The Kilika Beasts were giving them hell, their defense impeccable as they kept them from scoring for the entire first half. Stiles was pissed and wanted to win. Unfortunately for him, his shot was less than glorious. Luckily for him, however, they were still going to the finals to face the Zanarkand Abes. This match was purely exhibition- Finstock’s idea to keep the team loose and ready. No one expected Stiles to act so selfishly- himself included.

“I get it coach, it won’t happen again.” He knew the words came out stiff and broken, not at all authentic in their meaning. He’d been rehearsing the line the second his foot made contact with the ball when he made the impossible shot. Finstock chuckled, sliding his hand roughly through his hair, making it stand at an odd angle. It added to his already eccentric personality.

“If you think a half-assed apology is going to fix this, kid, you clearly don’t get how this works,” Finstock snapped, making Stiles sit up in his chair. Surely he’s bluffing. Just trying to get a rise out of him. Fuck with him to teach him a lesson. “Your actions tonight make it seem like you aren’t serious about playing ball.” Stiles opened his mouth to interject but Finstock talked over him, squelching his voice.

“Nu-uh, kiddo, I’m talking. I didn’t want to bring you back after what happened a year ago. It was tragic as hell, and I am truly sorry. But you can’t pull that damn ex-summoner card and think you can get whatever you want. I had a feeling that after what happened to you, you just wouldn’t be the same. You were stubborn as hell in the beginning and you disregarded all the rules. What happened, Stiles? You weren’t yourself tonight. You’re a hell of a blitzball player, kid, but you need to get it together. If you can’t convince me that you’re going to give one-hundred and ten percent next week, I don’t know if I’ll be putting you in for the championship game.” Stiles stared at Finstock, eyes wide and heart beating like a firecracker in his chest.

“What? You can’t- I’m- I said I’m sorry. For fuck’s sake, I’m the best player on this team and you’re going to bench me for the fucking _championship_ match?”

“Saying you’re sorry don’t mean jack shit, kid- and watch your mouth. Yes, you’re a valuable asset to this team but I’m questioning your dedication. It wasn’t just tonight, Stiles. You’ve been reckless all season. I ignored it because we kept winning. But we’re going up against possibly _the_ best team in Spira. We can’t have you distracted.”

“Coach, please. I’ll do better. I need to be in. I’ll do anything.” Finstock leaned back in his chair, sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Alright, listen. Don’t do anything stupid for the next week. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Distance yourself from anything that would jeopardize this team. And for the love of my great aunt Myrtle, don’t repeat that fiasco with the player from Luca. His manager almost had us disbanded.” Stiles grinned at the memory, despite the seriousness of the situation.

Jackson was a pompous, privileged prick who played for the Luca Goers. His ego was about as big as his dick, which Stiles found out was bigger than he thought, ironically. Guys like him are constantly overcompensating, throwing their money around like it’s nothing. Stiles regrets falling for his pretty boy charms and although the sex was fantastic, the aftermath wasn’t as breathtakingly satisfying.

Never has a summoner quit their pilgrimage before Stiles, and people of Spira did not take his abandonment well. The media had a field day after his father’s funeral in Besaid.

Stiles had performed the sending for the island’s dead.

He felt nothing as he danced, his mind void of any thoughts or memories as he sent the souls of the dead to the Farplane. Stiles announced the end of his pilgrimage the following day before returning to Macalania. He drank his way through Spira on his way, hoping the alcohol would numb the constant pain. He spent a lot of time out at night, and on his last night in Luca, he bumped into Jackson at Viper, _the_ gay club in all of **Spira**. Jackson immediately recognized him for who he was and the rest was history.

Stiles cleared his throat.

“I’ll go to **Zanarkand** early. Check in at the hotel and wait for you guys to come next week. I promise I won’t do anything stupid. I’ll order in and barricade myself in the hotel room, if that will make you feel any better.”

“Right. I’m not joking around here, Stilinski. I won’t hesitate to pull you if you screw up. Now get out of here before I change my mind.”

“Thanks, coach.”

Stiles wasted no time leaving. He grabbed his duffel bag after tossing his towel into the large bin by the door and went to meet up with Scott.

**

“I’ll take whatever you have on tap,” Stiles said to the barkeep, slapping a bill onto the counter. The **hypello** meandered off to the other end of the bar to fill Stiles’ order when Scott came up next to him, squinting angrily at him.

“Dude, what did Finstock tell you?” Stiles rolled his eyes, thanking the hypello as he set his alcohol down. Stiles always had a hard time deciphering hypellos- he could never really gauge their demeanor unless they were talking. This one was no different. Stiles shrugged his thoughts away as he took a long swig of his beer, the bitter taste burning his throat a little bit.

“It’s one beer,” he said off-handedly, ignoring his friend who sat next to him. Stiles sighed loudly, knowing that Scott would now watch him like a hawk for the rest of the night.

“You’re lucky coach won’t be here until tomorrow.”

Awkward silence followed.

Stiles knew Scott had his best interest at heart; that he was making sure he didn’t do anything foolish. Like, for instance, getting sloppily drunk and sleeping with anything that had a heartbeat, completely ignoring the consequences that might ensue. However, Scott couldn’t even begin to understand how he’s been feeling since his father passed- no, since he was killed. Scott had both of his parents. Although, his dad was a deadbeat loser, so it’s possibly to say Scott doesn’t have a father but at least his is still _breathing._

They continue to sit in silence for a while before Scott leaves. Stiles watches as he walks a few steps away before glancing over his shoulder, as if contemplating whether or not he should say something. In the end, Scott just turns and walks away, leaving Stiles to himself. He ends up ordering another beer, finishing it quickly before heading back to his room.

Stiles manages to get all the way to the elevator before he blatantly walks into someone, mumbling an apology under his breath.

“Sorry, my bad.” The guy just grunts and keeps walking. Stiles squints at the guy as he passes: tall, broad shoulders, an ass that put all others to shame, and an oddly glum aura. Stiles was a bit surprised at himself for still having the ability to read auras. It was a talent he picked up from his mother. He was able to heighten its power with a little help from the Fayth, but ever since Stiles quit his pilgrimage, he could feel the lack of power he possessed.

The Fayth are mad at him for quitting. Stiles hasn’t tried to summon an aeon for almost a year and a half now. Even if he had changed his mind and continued his pilgrimage, the Fayth would most likely ignore his prayers and leave him excommunicated.

The soft ding of the elevator arriving snapped Stiles out of his reverie. He stepped into the metal contraption and let it pull him to the top floor. As Stiles settled in his bed, he felt a gentle tug in the pit of his stomach. Stiles ignored the feeling, his whole body sighing in relief the moment his head hit the pillow. Training for the championship match started tomorrow afternoon and he needed to be well-rested if he was going to convince Finstock to let him start.

***

___________________________________________________

The Fayth: As the description says above, The Fayth are a sort of higher power that gives power to summoners and allows them to call forth powerful beings to help aid in their battle.  
Aeon: Said powerful being called upon by summoners. There are 10 in total, though The Magus Sisters are technically one aeon that you summon at once.  
Farplane: Think of this place as Heaven/Hell. Admittedly, I'm not religious, but this place serves as a final resting place for those that pass away, should they be 'sent' by a summoner.  
Simhurg: A giant eyeball with wings, basically. Typically a greenish color with a lizard like texture.  
Garm: Basically a wolf.  
Djose Temple: One of the temples summoners pray at. When someone is praying to the Fayth inside, the layer of rock surrounding the temple is electrocuted and revolves the temple.  
Guardian: Someone who accompanies a summoner on their pilgrimage, risking their life to protect the summoner. (A pilgrimage is a summoner's journey to pray at every temple in Spira. They then finish their journey in Zanarkand, where they perform the final summoning to defeat Sin and bring forth the Calm- which is the time without Sin lasting ten years).  
Luca: One of the many cities throughout Spira. It is the second largest city, next to Zanarkand.  
Blitzball: A combination between soccer, football, and water polo. This sport is played in a large sphere filled with water. How they manage to breathe underwater? I don't know.  
Ixion: A very cool looking unicorn whose attacks are lightning-based.  
Isle of Besaid: A small island, home to the Besaid Aurochs. Summoners pray at this island's temple to receive the aeon, Valefor.  
Spira: The name of the world in the Final Fantasy X universe.  
Zanarkand: The largest city in Spira. Imagine, I guess, New York- a city that never sleeps.  
Hypello: An interesting looking creature. They're blue and their eyes are really far apart. Imaging Sid, from Ice Age.

And just as a final note: the existence of fiends in this universe is the result of those who died and did not have a proper sending. Their souls stayed on the physical plane and manifested themselves into fiends.


	2. Chapter 2

Stiles sat in a chair facing the bed, arms up on one side as he played with the wooden figurines he got for his birthday only two months ago. There was a crack of thunder in the distance and the sky lit up as Stiles looked outside. He wasn’t scared of thunder, really. It would catch him off guard sometimes and his body would seize momentarily. But Stiles loved what almost always followed thunder: rain. Even as he sat next to his mother, he felt content listening to the silent pitter-patter of water falling above him.

Stiles knew that his mother was sick. What he didn’t know was how severe it was. He had some kind of idea since she hasn’t been home since before his birthday. She had fallen in the kitchen while she was making dinner and ever since then she was in the medical ward. Healers from all over Spira came to give their expertise. No one seemed to understand what was happening to her. There had been a few other cases in other parts of Spira, but even then, no cure for this ailment was known.

Even the Lady Belgemine came and did all she could. Stiles knew it was a big deal when a summoner came to visit. Everyone in the ward acted as if she were royalty, which, in a way, she was. Stiles wasn’t allowed to stay in the room when she tried to heal his mother. He waited outside the room, the wooden figurines (dented here and there from too much use) left on the chair beside him as he stared at his shoes.

He should feel upset, figured. His mother was sick and nothing seemed to be helping her get better. For some reason, however, he couldn’t feel anything at all. An hour must have passed as he waited. At that point, his father came rushing into the medical ward, soaked through his work uniform. He took one look at Stiles sitting outside the room by himself and his face went slack. Stiles’ heartbeat quickened at the sight of his father in that state. He watched as his father went in to his mother’s room and the sound that followed stayed with Stiles for years to come.

Stiles pushed himself off the chair and walked into the room, the wooden figurines forgotten. He watched as his father knelt beside the bed, clasping his mother’s hand desperately as he sobbed. The summoner, Belgemine, caught Stiles’ attention as she bowed to his mother. She noticed him in the next moment, the saddest eyes piercing his very soul. Stiles walked quietly up to his father, hand stretched out to get his attention when-

Stiles was suddenly warm.

It was as if the sun was within him. His entire body was warm in seconds. Wherever he was, the sun was shining, its long rays burning the back of his neck. A gentle breeze blew around him, the smell of sand and saltwater filling his senses. As Stiles collected himself, he heard the sound of gentle sobs. He had somehow appeared in a patch of brush and couldn’t make out anything past it.

He pushed through the greenery and came out on a beach, his feet sinking slightly as he approached the crowd of people lined at the edge of the sand. There was a tall figure walking out on the water, holding a long staff. It took Stiles what seemed like forever to reach the crowd of people gathered around, crying and holding on to each other for support.

He then realized what he was watching.

Stiles watched himself dance, sending those who were killed by Sin to the Farplane, his father one of those among them. As he finished, Stiles watched himself walk back to the beach. In the blink of an eye, he locked eyes with the shadow of himself. Stiles’ amber eyes stared back at him, void of any emotion. He stared at himself, confused as he watched himself walk back to the beach. He remembered feeling absolutely nothing at that time in his life. Both of his parents were gone- he was all alone.

His former self continued to stare even as he reached the beach. Stiles stared at himself for the longest time before everything went black and-

Stiles woke with a start, his body lined with sweat as he clutched his chest. He threw the covers off of himself and sat hunched over on the side of the bed, hand running through his hair. He replayed the dreams in his head over and over. He tried to wrap his head around what happened, tried his hardest to come to some conclusion as to why he had that specific dream.

 Stiles waited for his heartrate to settle before getting dressed. He slipped into his shoes and went outside. The sun was still hiding under the horizon but Stiles could see the faintest hint of its rays reaching out. He stretched out his limbs, mirroring the sun’s rays. He cracked his neck twice, bent towards the ground and jumped up and down to wake himself up before he ran.

Stiles ran around the city until his dream- no, nightmare- was a distant memory. He ran until his entire body was drenched in sweat, clothes sticking to his body. Stiles found himself at the edge of the city when he stopped, staring off towards **Mount Gagazet**. He watched the snow-capped rocks, almost in a trance before he felt the sun on his back. Stiles took one last look at the mountains before turning and running back.

He ran through the heart of Zanarkand on his way back to the hotel, rather than skimming around the outside of the town. Stiles watched as the scene changed- those who were partying through the night were slowly stumbling into their homes to pass out and those just starting their day began their work. Zanarkand was a city that always had something going on. It was truly a city that never slept.

Stiles reached the hotel just as the sun crept above the horizon. He quickly ran up the stairs to his room.

Today was the first day of his training and he was ecstatic, and, admittedly, nervous. He knew that if he had any chance of starting in the final, he would have to cooperate and not let anything keep him from being a team player.

His legs were a little sore from running this morning but he shook it off as he stretched out on the floor. Stiles sat with his legs wide, leaning forward, stretching out and reaching his hands as far as he could. His muscles screamed in protest but Stiles pushed through the pain. After a few more stretches, Stiles threw on loose fitting clothes and headed to the stadium, not seeing the point in washing up if he was going to be practicing anyways.

It was still early and it looked like Stiles was the first one there other than the guards who patrolled every day. He walked around the stands, echoes of the last time he was here running through his mind. The cheer of the crowd was deafening as two teams entered the stadium. He could remember the chills that ran through his body that day. It was his first championship match and he was shaking he was so nervous. The rest of the team assured him they would have his back and Stiles said the same to them. They had lost the match that day, but ever since his father had died, his team was the closest thing he had to a family.

Stiles walked towards the locker room but stopped short of the stairs. He hadn’t noticed before, but there was someone else in the stadium. Whoever it was, they were running up and down the stadium stairs quickly. Stiles watched, transfixed, slightly concerned that they were running too fast and they risked tripping up the steps. He was trying to pry his eyes away but for some reason he couldn’t. Before he knew it the guy (Stiles could tell by now) was coming down the stairs closest to him. Stiles’ body seemed to react finally but it was too late. The guy came around the corner and stopped suddenly.

“Whoa, sorry,” the guy said as he took a step back, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his arm. His breathing was surprisingly even for someone who had been running, Stiles thought as he stared at him. The guy wasn’t wearing a shirt and the shorts he was wearing barely covered his midsection. The guy had hair on his chest, leading down his perfectly chiseled body towards the very prominent and oh-so-fucking-attractive ‘V’ of his waistline. The guy stood with both hands on his hips, chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. Stiles was literally snapped out of his reverie when the guy snapped his fingers in front of him.

“Get a good look, did you?”

Stiles’ face immediately flushed.

“Yeah, sorry- I mean, no … I- shit,” Stiles cursed as he rubbed the back of his neck instinctively. He looked up at the guy and was met with one green eye and one blue. Stiles was at a loss for words yet again as he studied the unusual colors. He noticed a scar that started just above his left eye (the blue one) and stretched downwards the same distance from the top. The guy laughed as Stiles fumbled for the right words.

“Don’t worry about it. You wouldn’t be the first person to stare. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it, though.”

“Well with a body like that, I mean- no, forget I said that.” The guy just kept laughing. Stiles didn’t know if he wanted to punch him or, well…

“Seriously, you’re fine. Actually, you’re not so bad on the eyes either,” tall, dark, and handsome said coolly, a suggestive look in his eyes as Stiles continued to redden. The guy offered Stiles his hand, the latter accepting it.

“My name is Derek. Nice to meet you.”

“Stiles.” Derek’s left eyebrow shot up, right on cue.

“Trust me, my real name would have you tongue-tied,” Stiles said warmly. Derek’s eyes sparkled as he nodded, the two men shaking hands.

“Well, Stiles, I hope to see you around some time.” And with that, Derek went off running again. Stiles watched until he couldn’t decipher Derek in the seats across the stadium. His stomach was in knots as he walked quickly to the locker room. It’s been a while since he felt something like this- something so … pure and real. Stiles knew that he wanted to see Derek again, even if it meant only in passing so he could experience this feeling again, if only for a moment. He shook off the butterflies and waited for his teammates to arrive, eager and ready to start training.

__________________________________________________________________

Mount Gagazet: An mountainous area of Spira, home of the Ronso. 

Ronso: Blue, beast-like people. (You can Google for a better picture)


	3. Chapter 3

Stiles was in a constant state of sweat and exhaustion for the next few weeks. There were only three days left until the last match and Finstock had gathered them all in the locker room, preparing them for one of his famous motivational speeches. Stiles blanked out during most of it, catching a few heartfelt moments from coach here and there. He hated to admit it, but only about ninety percent of his attention was on the present. The other ten percent was on Derek, who Stiles hadn’t seen since the day they had first met.

Stiles decided to spend most of his mornings training in the stadium to get ready for the finals. At least, he tells himself that he’s training for the finals but really he’s just trying to bump into Derek again because he had no other way of knowing where to find him. He promised the coach that his full attention would be on the team and winning the finals, but it’s been a while since someone showed interest in Stiles the way Derek had. Derek’s bluntness took Stiles way off guard and he couldn’t help but feel attracted to him, and not just because his body was insanely cut. Seriously, though, his abs could probably cut diamonds and Stiles wanted to rub his face on Derek’s face, because stubble burn just made him so _horny_.

“Alright, now that I’ve given my rant, I have the starting lineup for Saturday’s match, so listen up. Let me tell you now, if you aren’t on this list, you’re still expected to keep up with training as if you were. So, as per usual, Hutchens is on goal. The Abes have some strong offense so make sure you’re ready to make some incredible saves.”

Hutchens was one of the oldest members on the team at twenty-nine. His stature was perfect for the position of goalie: he was tall and lanky with limbs like an octopus. He was muscular, toned. Stiles caught himself ogling at Hutchens covered by nothing else but a towel on more than one occasion. He couldn’t explain it but there was something about older men that made Stiles’ blood simmer.

“Then we have Greenburg, Reyes, Boyd, and Stilinski starting us off.”

Stiles couldn’t hide the smile that erupted over his face. His insides were jumping for joy as everyone around him clapped him on the back. He made eye contact with Coach Finstock, the latter telling him he better not mess up as he glared in his direction. Once the commotion died down a bit, coach kept on.

“Alright, listen up. Today and tomorrow are our last practices of the season. I made a deal with the Abes’ coach to let us have the stadium from sun up to midday, so we’ve already lost some time. I don’t want to see any one of you wasting any time. We are going full out until tomorrow. You’ll have all day Friday to rest. And yes, when I say rest, that means actually resting, not partying. You’ll have plenty of time for that when we wipe the floor with the Abes!”

The locker room erupted into cheers as the entire team made their way out to the stadium. Stiles felt lighter than air as he rushed alongside his teammates. In three days, they were going to be champions. Stiles could feel that they were ready this time.

**

The following morning, Stiles rose early due to the recurring nightmare. He wasn’t sure of the meaning behind it and why, of all times, he started having them now. Even more disturbing was the fact that it’s the exact same dream each time. Stiles thought it over and decided that he was just going to have to shake it off for the time being, and worry about it after the finals on Saturday. His body was sore from practice yesterday and his body would no doubt continue to be. Stiles gave himself twenty minutes to stretch before heading to the stadium. A few of the other members of the team were there as he walked into the locker room. Boyd and Erica were huddled close together, seemingly in a heated debate over something and Greenburg was leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Stiles thought it best to just feign ignorance as he changed into his uniform.

Greenburg had come up next to Stiles, then, this time leaning on the lockers. Boyd and Erica were still going at it when he spoke.

“Know what that’s about?” he asked, Stiles answering in a non-committal shrug as he closed his locker door.

“Whatever it is, they should end it before coach gets here, don’t ya think?” Stiles eyed Greenburg curiously. Greenburg has hardly said two words to Stiles in the last year and now this happens. Granted, Stiles never really approached him to start conversations or to get to know him. The only communication they needed was where it mattered- in the dome during a match. Greenburg was staring at Stiles expectantly. The latter turned his back to Erica and Boyd and mirrored Greenburg’s posture.

“It’s none of our business, really. It’s not the first time they’ve argued. They know this match is important and they’ll figure it out for Saturday.” Stiles wished he believed his own words, but even as he said them he felt like something was off. He glanced over his shoulder when he realized he couldn’t hear Boyd and Erica arguing anymore. Turning back to Greenburg, Stiles flashed him a smile.

“See?” With that, Stiles left the locker room and walked out to the stadium, where the rest of the team was gathered. The whole team made five laps around the stadium. Coach had the **machina** turned on and the dome filled with water while they were warming up. They broke off into two teams to simulate a match and started.

They alternated positions, switching from offense to defense every so often to keep everyone alert. Half way through practice, Erica and Boyd had ended up on different teams. Stiles felt the tension between them as they went back and forth at each other. Everyone else noticed and kept their distance. It wasn’t until Erica tackled Boyd so hard that he almost flew out of the dome that they see the coach’s signal to stop.

“Boyd! Reyes! You’re benched!” was the first thing everyone heard when they got out of the water. What surprised them all was that neither Boyd nor Erica complained as they stormed off towards the locker room. Coach looked furious as he flipped through his notes, no doubt comparing the stats of his players to see who could replace them.

“Aiden and Ethan, you’re replacing them. Those of you who aren’t starting, congratulations, you get to go home early. Rest up and be back here on Saturday at noon. Everyone else, stay behind.” Stiles watched as half the team left, chatting idly about going to the bar later tonight. Coach must not have heard or he was so angry he didn’t care.

Greenburg looked smugly at Stiles as if to say _I told you so_. Stiles ignored him, sitting down to stretch his legs while he waited for coach to give them directions.

“You five get back in the water and finish practice. Run drills. Do whatever you need to in order to make sure I’m not going insane by benching those two.” One of the twins, Aiden, helped Stiles to his feet before the five of them walked towards the dome. Greenburg was the first to speak.

“He must have seen them arguing in the locker room.” Stiles stayed quiet.

“What was with them anyways?” asked Ethan, to which Hutchens replied:

“It’s none of our business. We don’t need to worry ourselves about their relationship issues. Obviously they couldn’t hold it together until after the match. Now we have less than three hours to figure out a way to make sure we take home the championship this year, despite the setback. I’ll let you guys know, this is my last match- after this year, I’m retiring. I would much rather finish my career with a championship win then go down in the end. So get your head in the game or get out.” With that, Hutchens dove into the dome and swam towards the middle.

Everyone else followed suit once the news of Hutchens’ departure hit them.

It wasn’t perfect, but their plan was set. They spent the better part of two hours catching Aiden and Ethan up to speed on their usual plays that Erica and Boyd had down pat. As the sun rose directly above them, Hutchens signaled for them to head out. Stiles’ body ached everywhere as he slowly waded through the water. From his position, he could see that the Abes were already in the stadium, waiting for them to finish up. Once they were all out, Hutchens turned back to them.

“Alright, make sure to rest up tomorrow. We’ll meet early Saturday morning for a quick practice before the rest of the team shows. Sound good?” Everyone nodded and dispersed. Stiles walked over to the nearest bench and threw his leg up, stretching out the pain. He ignored the chatter of the Abes as they began their warm-ups. Stiles switched legs, stifling a moan as his hip popped. He shook out the pain and walked back towards the locker room. Stiles nodded towards the Abes as he passed but only one of them, a cute brunette, acknowledged him.

“Hey cutie,” she said sweetly, waving at him. He smiled politely and waved back. As Stiles walked down the steps, someone came out of the locker room and almost walked right into him. To his surprise, Derek stood before him, wearing a Zanarkand Abes uniform. He took in the sight and nearly slapped himself for being so stupid. Of course Derek played for the Abes. No one except players are allowed to be in the stadium unless an actual match is being played.

“Stiles,” Derek said, his voice sounding more surprised for almost bumping into him again rather than seeing him in the stadium.

“Derek,” Stiles said softly as he smiled. Derek returned the smile and Stiles felt his skin tingle. Seriously, the dude is literally the most attractive person he’s ever seen.

“How was practice? Good, I hope?”

“Yep,” he said, popping his lips loudly. Stiles found himself eying Derek up in his uniform. It definitely fit him better than the pathetic excuse for shorts he was wearing the last time they saw each other, though Stiles was a little sad that more of his skin was covered this time. It was as if the uniform was stitched right into his skin, though. Every move Derek made caused Stiles blood to boil and gravitate south. Derek finally broke the awkward silence between them.

“So, anyway, if you’re interested, a few of us from the team are going out tonight for drinks. If you want to come, you can meet me at the bar down by Argent Inc.. You know the place?”

Stiles wasn’t sure, but he believes that Derek just asked him out.

“And yes, I did just ask you out. I know it’s not an ideal first date, but, seeing as how for the next two days we’re rivals, I thought we could just hang out platonically.”

“Cheeky bastard,” Stiles mumbled. “Shit- that was supposed to be in my head.” Derek took it in stride, though.

“I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll see you tonight at eight.” Derek lingered for a brief moment before taking the stairs two at a time. Stiles walked into the locker room a little stunned. A smile crept up the side of his face as he changed out of his uniform. After Stiles changed, he decided to find Scott and invite him along tonight. He didn’t want to be around anyone he didn’t know without at least one person he did know.

**

The bar was packed with people and Stiles felt out of place. He was sitting at the bar alone because Scott was the worst wingman ever. Some pretty brunette (who looked oddly like the Abes player, younger, but similar) came up to him and asked him to dance. Luckily for Stiles, though, Derek showed up and saved the day.

“You should warn your friend,” he started, before ordering two beers, setting money down on the bar.

“What do you mean?” Stiles accepted the beer from Derek with a soft smile, taking a small swig from it, enjoying the crisp taste and subtle burn.

“She’s an Argent. Her father is a stubborn man,” Derek explained as he sat next to Stiles, turning so their legs knocked together. Stiles occupied himself by staring over to Scott. The girl looked completely harmless, a typical twenty-something year old who was just looking for some fun. Stiles turned back around, catching Derek staring at him.

“What?”

“You care about him, don’t you?” Stiles nodded as he lifted his beer to his lips.

“We’ve known each other since we were kids. We would get into so much trouble together and when my parents died, he was such a big help.”

“I’m sorry,” Derek said softly, reaching a hand out to rest on Stiles’ knee. Stiles watched his movement, felt the warmth emanating from the spot Derek’s hand created. Derek was more forward than Stiles could have ever expected. Stiles cleared his throat as he set his beer down.

“It’s fine. I’ve come to terms with everything. It took me a while, believe you me, but after about a year of hating everyone, I came around.”

“My mother and father passed away, too,” Derek said suddenly. Stiles met Derek’s eyes then. The rest of the world dissolved around them as Stiles watched him. Derek was about to talk about his parents’ deaths, like it was idle conversation. Sure, Stiles had said it in passing, not really wishing to go further, but he was finally able to say that without cringing and wanting to harm himself.

“I’m sorry, this is terrible first date conversation,” he managed as he scratched the back of his neck.  Derek smiled as he removed his hand from Stiles’ knee, sliding to the edge of his stool. He leaned in towards Stiles until there was no space between them. Stiles shivered as he felt Derek’s warm breath on his neck as he spoke.

“You wanna get out of here?” Against his better nature, Stiles nodded his head before he could think about it. Derek grabbed Stiles’ wrist and led him out of the bar. Stiles glanced over his shoulder, scanning the room for Scott. Scott was sitting with the brunette and, by the looks of it, some of her friends. He saw a flash of red hair and just before Derek pulled him out the front door, Stiles saw the face of someone he hasn’t seen in very long time.

The air was cool and damp outside, it must have rained while they were inside. Derek led Stiles away from the bar and in the opposite direction of the hotel. Stiles didn’t even think about the possible consequences of sneaking off with one of the players from the Abes. The fiasco with Jackson flashed through his mind momentarily but he pushed it out. This was different. Derek was different.  

Derek led Stiles to a small park within the city. They slowed down as they settled on a path. The pair walked in silence for a little while until Derek stopped walking near a small patch of grass surrounded by trees. Derek let go of Stiles’ hand and sat down on the grass. He looked towards Stiles, patting the ground next to him. Stiles smiled as he walked over and sat down, bringing his knees to his chest.

“It’s nice here- peaceful,” Stiles said quietly as he gazed towards the sky. Zanarkand was a large, noisy city and Stiles didn’t think it would be possible to find somewhere this quiet. It reminded him of home, back in Macalania. Sure, it was warmer here, but the peaceful chirping of the critters around them were nostalgic.

“This is my favorite place in the city,” Derek said quietly, as if this place were a secret known only to him.

“Do you come here often?”  

“When I was a kid, I used to sneak out at night and come here. When the sun set, they would turn off the lights and I would lie down on the grass and watch the stars.”

“I guess it’s good that you didn’t turn out to be a thief.” Derek laughed as he lied down on his back, cradling his head in his hands.

“I think my mother would agree with you. It’s funny, really, she knew the whole time where I was going.  A mother’s intuition, I guess.” Silence fell between them again. Stiles looked at Derek as if he was meeting him for the first time. There was an unsettling feeling in Stiles’ chest as he stared. He taken aback by how open Derek was to a complete stranger. Sure, Stiles told Derek that he had lost his parents, but that was as much as he was willing to say. Derek is reminiscing about his childhood and Stiles can’t help but feel …

Stiles stood up from his spot suddenly and took a few paces towards a tree. Derek took notice and sat up.

“Stiles?

He turned towards Derek who looked legitimately concerned for Stiles’ well-being and that’s something that made the indescribable feeling intensify. It’s what kept him from letting Derek get any closer.

“I’m sorry but it’s a little much,” Stiles nearly whispered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“What do you mean, Stiles?” Derek was standing now, eyes scanning for an answer. Stiles paced around as he talked.

“It’s a little too fast, okay? I like you, Derek- I really do. We’ve only been together twice. That is, if you count me drooling over you that day in the stadium. You’re just … I don’t … You’re telling me these things about yourself and your past so openly.”  

“I don’t mind talking about my parents, Stiles. When I think of them, sure, I get sad but most of the time I can’t help but smile when I remember them.”

“That’s not the point, Derek. I just have this feeling in my chest, this- pressure whenever I’m around you. It’s as if I can’t breathe and it, it scares me. Please don’t take this the wrong way because I want to see you again. I want to sit down with you and learn everything there is to know about you and I want you to know everything about me and I know this sounds conceited but I want to on my terms. My past is screwed up and I’ve lost everything I care about and now I’m babbling like a fucking moron,” Stiles said in one breath, inhaling deeply as he watched Derek, waiting for some kind of reaction. He doesn’t know exactly what he was expecting but he knew he wasn’t expecting him to smile.

“I understand, Stiles, trust me I do. My life is far from perfect. I’m sorry for making you feel the way you do. If you want, we can get together after the game for a proper first date. No bar. No teammates. Just us. Talking. I know this really great café right around the stadium.” Stiles inhaled deeply then blew out hot air, smiling at the thought.

“I would really like that, Derek.”

“It’s a date then.” They hadn’t set a particular time or talked about any of the details but Stiles knew that everything would turn out for the better. Stiles smiled at the prospect of spending more time with Derek. He was still a bit anxious because he had never felt this way about a person he just met, let alone someone he’s spent more time with. He had to focus. Stiles ran his hand through his hair, something that got Derek’s attention. Stiles grinned then, scratching his head before speaking, his tone making a complete three-sixty.

“So are you sure you’d want to go on a date with me after us Misfits destroy you Abes?” Stiles watched as Derek’s left eyebrow lifted.

“Now who’s the cheeky bastard?” Stiles grinned as he took a step towards Derek, eyes searching his.

“I’m gonna go check on my friend. I guess I’ll see you Saturday, then?”

“Yes. May the best team win,” Derek said, offering his hand. Stiles grabbed it, a wicked grin twisting his lips.

“We plan on doing just that.”

**


	4. Chapter 4

Stiles dreamt again of the night his mother died and the day he performed the sending on the shores of Besaid Island. He walked through both dreams, letting it all play out until he realized something was different. His father’s sobs struck harder this time and when Stiles arrived at the beach, there was something wrong. Stiles moved through the brush and found the beach to be empty except for a tall figure in the distance. He approached the person cautiously, trying to figure out what was happening. Stiles was five feet away from the figure when they turned around.

Stiles stared into his own eyes, mesmerized by their amber glow.

“Why am I here?” he asked his dream self. The voice that came out of the dream Stiles’ mouth was distorted, sounding nothing like him. 

“You need to go back.”

“Go where? What do you mean?” The dream Stiles turned towards the ocean before answering.

“To where it all began.” Stiles moved closer, circling dream Stiles and stared him in the face.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. This makes no sense. Who are you?” Dream Stiles smiled warmly as he met the real Stiles’ gaze.

“ _We_ are _you_ , Stiles. Come back to us. Go to where you first found us.” There was a pause, as if dream Stiles was letting the actual Stiles try to decipher his cryptic message. When the real Stiles remained silent, dream Stiles walked towards the water. He walked out on the water, turning back to Stiles one last time.

“We forgive you Stiles. We know you were hurt and that you needed time. We hope you will come back to us soon. Death surrounds Spira and we fear something bad is going to happen soon.” Stiles watched as the figure walked off into the sunset. Stiles looked around him, wondering when he was going to wake up when someone came up next to him. Stiles couldn’t make out this person’s face but what he could see was a seemingly endless amount of curly, crimson hair.

In that moment, Stiles woke from his dream.

The sun had just began its ascension over the horizon. Stiles swung his legs over the side of his bed and rubbed his face. He cleaned himself quickly and got dressed before he walked out of the hotel and into the center of town. He knew where he had to go as he maneuvered through the crowds of people forming until he came upon a shop with a simple sign hanging above its door.

**Readings by Lydia**

Stiles moved inside the store, a small bell hanging above the door announcing his arrival. Within seconds, Lydia came around to the front of the store, nearly dropping the stack of objects she had carefully stacked in her arms. Stiles rushed to her side, making sure nothing fell.

“Sorry, Lyds, didn’t mean to frighten you,” Stiles apologized, setting some of her things down on the counter.

“You didn’t _frighten_ me, just took me by surprise. What are you doing here Stiles? I haven’t seen you since-

“A long time ago, I know. Sorry about that.” Lydia gazed at him with her calculating eyes and in that moment Stiles felt naked. She eyed him up and down, eyes piercing. It seemed to go on forever before she finally spoke.

“It’s all in the past,” she said simply, waving it off. “Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I know you too well, Lydia, you’re not going to let this go,” Stiles said quietly, scratching the back of his neck idly.

“If you really knew me then you’d know I don’t dwell on the past. That’s exactly what it is and it doesn’t do well to focus on something we can’t fix. Now, my question: what brings you here in the early hours of the morning?” Stiles sighed, motioning for Lydia to sit down with him. As they got comfortable, Stiles tried to decide where to start. He knew that something or someone gave him a sign to come see her. She was the only one he knew that could be the owner of the bright red hair he saw in his dream. If it were anybody else they’d chuck it up to coincidence but Stiles knew better than to doubt a dream.

“I’ve been having these dreams and I’m not sure what they mean. It started happening after my father died and every night it’s the same dream.”

“What do you dream about?” Lydia asked, a touch of sadness in her voice. Stiles knew that Lydia knew about his father’s passing but it still seemed to sadden her. Stiles told her about the dream, how it was the same one every night until last night.

“What was different about it last night?”

“The part with my mother was the same but when I got to Besaid … no one was there except the dream me, or, I don’t think it was supposed to be me, I’m not sure. Whoever, or whatever, it was talked.” Lydia listened, waiting for Stiles to continue. After a few moments of Stiles not saying anything, Lydia probed a little.

“What was it that they said, Stiles?” she asked quietly. Stiles made eye contact with Lydia briefly before staring around the store.

“ _Go back to where it began… we forgive you… death surrounds Spira…”_ Stiles was in some sort of trance as he spoke. Lydia sat and watched him carefully.

“ _We are you, Stiles. We know you were hurt … needed time … go back to where it all began.”_ Stiles blinked three times before looking to Lydia, confusion on both of their faces.

“What just happened?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes.

“You were in a trance,” she said raptly, eyes calculating as ever as she tried to figure out what was happening. “I have an idea about figuring this all out. Come with me.” Lydia led Stiles to the back of the store and into a small room.

“Sit,” she instructed, pointing to a chair across from hers. Stiles obeyed, getting comfortable while Lydia rummaged through her desk. Lydia started pulling out weird trinkets that ranged in sizes and Stiles just watched in silence.

“Now, I think it’s pretty obvious who contacted you during your dream,” she stated matter-of-factly as she shook her head before tossing everything she pulled out of her desk. She got up and rummaged through a chest until she pulled out a large orb.

“You’re not serious, are you? A crystal ball?”

“Don’t mock me, Stiles. I know what I’m doing. Now, how long has it been since you’ve been in contact with the Fayth?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like I said: it’s obvious. The Fayth contacted you in your dreams, telling you to go back to them. So, how long has it been since you’ve prayed?” Stiles was quiet for a long while, staring into the crystal ball Lydia set in a small holder on the desk. Thinking about his father’s death and what that meant to him made his stomach turn. Stiles felt the sting of bile threatening to rise in his throat. He swallowed hard, clearing his throat before speaking.

“Since my father died,” he said, his voice raspy.

“I don’t mean to reopen old wounds, Stiles, but it’s necessary to figure things out.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Stiles waved off, rubbing his eyes to push away he tears. “I just wasn’t expecting this today. You think the Fayth are trying to contact me. Why?”

“Well, you said that death surrounds Spira. My only guess is that Sin is going to make an appearance soon. The Fayth want you to pray again, to finish your pilgrimage to defeat it.”

Stiles let Lydia’s prediction sink in.

He knew it was only a matter of time before the Fayth made a reappearance in his life. In hindsight, the dreams were a sign that something was wrong in Stiles’ life. Only now…

“There have been no signs of Sin in a long time, not since Besaid.”

“I know, but you know as well as I do, dreams have meanings, whether they’re clear or not. Now, place your hands on the orb, please.” Stiles gently placed his hands over the orb, expecting some big spectacle, bright lights, sparkles- something. The orb was cool to the touch as he lowered his hands. Lydia closed her eyes as she let her hands hover over the orb. Stiles felt something pulling the center of his gut. It was a slight tug at first but in time the force increased to where it almost pained Stiles.

Stiles looked up to Lydia and nearly fell out of his chair. Lydia’s eyes were glazed over and her hands had fallen to the orb. White smoke swirled within the orb vigorously as Stiles watched. Stiles watched as Lydia came to, the film over her eyes dissipating. Stiles watched expectantly, waiting for her to speak. Lydia looked around the room before looking at Stiles.

“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

“You tell me,” Stiles said, preparing himself for the worst.

“Sin is coming, and soon. I think this is what the Fayth was trying to warn you about.” Stiles inhaled deeply, letting the air flow out of him slowly. So Sin was going to attack somewhere soon and Stiles couldn’t help but feel powerless to stop it.

“Okay, so the good news then?” Lydia smiled genuinely at him, making Stiles fidget in his seat.

“The Fayth told me that you have found your soulmate,” Lydia said sweetly as she rose from her chair.

“My soulmate?” Stiles’ thoughts immediately went to Derek as he stood, pushing in his chair. The familiar feeling in his gut returned at the thought of Derek and he felt his face flush. Lydia laughed quietly as she walked out to the front of the store.

“So you know who they speak of? Lucky you.”

“We only just met. Oh, and he plays for the Abes so there’s that,” Stiles said, making them both laugh.

“Is he cute?” Lydia asked as she sorted through all of her things from before. Stiles snorted, sitting at the front counter, cradling his head in his hand.

“He is the epitome of attractiveness, Lydia, you have _no_ idea. I just want to rub my face on his-

“I get it, you don’t have to go into detail,” Lydia said quickly, making them both laugh. In that moment, the front door opened, the bell above it ringing in the silence. Stiles nearly fell out of his chair (again) when he saw Lady Yocun walk into the store. Stiles fumbled as he stood, bowing low as Lady Yocun approached.

“Lady Yocun, it is an honor,” Stiles said quickly. Lydia followed suit as she came out from behind the counter.

“It is an honor to meet you, Lord Stiles,” said Lady Yocun as she, bowed to Stiles.

“You know who I am?” Stiles asked, surprised she knew who he was.

“I knew your grandfather when I was a child. You are a spitting image of him. He is one of the reasons why I became a summoner, you know. I have been following your journey since you left Macalania.” Stiles watched Lady Yocun as she wandered through the shop, eying the trinkets Lydia has procured over the years.

“Lady Yocun, if you don’t mind me asking, and do not take this the wrong way, but what are you doing in my shop?”

“I admit, I was a bit disappointed to hear that you had quit your pilgrimage,” Lady Yocun continued, ignoring Lydia completely. “The grandson of High Summoner Stanislaw, no longer a summoner.”

“I had planned on finishing my pilgrimage but-

“Yes, I know, your father was killed by Sin. If it were me, if Sin killed someone I cared about, I would want to do everything in my power to destroy it.”

“I beg your pardon, Lady Yocun, but you’re being inconsiderate,” Lydia interjected, moving closer to Stiles. She placed a consoling hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off.

“No.” Stiles looked up to Lady Yocun. “You’re right. I should have wanted to fight Sin then and there, even without finishing my pilgrimage but I was a coward. I locked my feelings away and I quit.”

“You were grieving, Stiles. You lost both of your parents and you acted like any sane person would,” said Lydia solemnly, determined to defend Stiles. Stiles, however, just stood there staring at the ground.

“Death is a crucial part of Spira. It is something we all must accept if we are to truly live our lives.”

“Lady Yocun, thank you.” Lydia looked at Stiles as if he were going insane. She just spent the past few minutes defending him from Lady Yocun’s lack of compassion and Stiles is thanking her. Stiles could feel the confusion and touch of anger emanating off of Lydia next to him.

“Despite my actions over the past year and a half, I believe everything happens for a reason. My mind has been clouded since the day my father passed and I think you have just helped me realize that I need to change my attitude.” Stiles bowed once again before sitting back down.

“You should know, Lady Yocun that Lydia performed a reading on me not moments before you came and foresaw Sin attacking soon.” Lady Yocun smiled at Stiles as she nodded.

“You are not the only one the Fayth have been visiting. I have finished my pilgrimage and it is clear what I must do now. I only hope I can perform the **Final Summoning** before any more people perish. Sin is no doubt attracted to the large influx of people that have come to see your match tomorrow.”

Stiles had almost forgotten about the finals tomorrow.

“Are you going to be there?” Stiles knew the answer to his question before he even asked it but he had hoped that maybe she would make an appearance. Someone in her position didn’t have the luxury to waste time at a blitzball game, even if it was the championship match.

“I plan on being at the temple tomorrow morning, so, no, I will not be able to make it to the game. I will pray for your victory.”

“Thank you,” Stiles said, bowing.

“Ms. Martin?” Lydia turned towards Lady Yocun with her hands clasped in front of her, lips pursed and eyes piercing.

“Yes?”

“I want to apologize if I have disrespected you in any way. It was not my intention to offend you,” she said softly as she lifted a small bag from one of the shelves. Lydia remained silent for a few moments before speaking.

“I understand,” she said simply, bowing her head. “Are you going to purchase that then?”

“Yes, along with any and all remedial supplies you have. I would like to be prepared for my journey in the morning. I can pay for everything now,” Lady Yocun said as she pulled a sack of coins from within her robes. She handed the money over to Lydia who smiled gratefully as she busied herself with gathering Lady Yocun’s order.

“Lady Yocun?” Stiles spoke up suddenly, moving closer to her.

“What is it?”

“What was my grandfather like? I’ve heard the stories from the temples about how he was a great summoner, but no one spoke about him as a person. I was wondering…”

“I was ten, I think, when I first met him. I was visiting the temple in Macalania with my parents. He was preparing for his journey. Your grandfather was a kind and warm individual.” Stiles smiled as Lady Yocun reminisced about his grandfather.

“My grandmother would tell me stories of how he’d summon aeons for the kids at the temple. I think the crowd favorite was Ixion. He would let the kids ride on his back.”

“Yes, I remember those days. I looked forward to those days the most.” Lydia finished gathering up supplies and placed them in a large knapsack for safe keeping. “Well, I think it is time for me to be going. I appreciate the supplies, Ms. Martin. And Stiles, promise me you’ll consider returning to your studies and finishing your pilgrimage?”

“Absolutely.”

“May the Fayth guide you both,” Lady Yocun said as she bowed, Stiles and Lydia mirroring her movement. Stiles watched as Lady Yocun fastened the knapsack around her waist and left the store. Stiles turned to Lydia.

“You wanna go out tonight? I could use a drink.”

“Since Lady Yocun practically cleaned me out, I need to make a quick list of what to pick up from market. We can hang out for the rest of the day, if you want? Grab some lunch and catch up?”

“That sounds great, Lyds.”

**

 **Final Summoning** : The purpose of the summoner's journey is to pray at every temple to receive the final summoning in order to defeat Sin. (If you'd like more information on the subject, go ahead and research it. I don't want to give too much away of the FFX storyline right now).


	5. Chapter 5

It’s been years since Stiles had experienced a blitzball game of this magnitude.

The stadium was stacked to capacity and the sky was a sea of fireworks and stars as the crowd roared around them. Stiles was expecting the Abes to put up a good fight but he never imagined his team would be down two goals at halftime. Stiles felt disconcerted at the fact that the majority of the crowd was cheering for the Abes- not many Misfits fans made it out to see the match.

Despite their two goal deficit, coach Finstock was as energetic and effervescent as ever.

“You guys need to wake up out there! Hutchens, those shots were dirty but now that you know how they play, can you keep them from scoring?”

“Yes.”

“Good. We need to talk strategy. The Abes have more experience than every player on this team put together but what we have that they lack is agility. We need to play smart but more importantly, we need to try for a goal as much as we can.”

“Stilinski’s our best shooter.”

It was Hutchens that spoke up and Stiles had huge respect for the guy. Everyone was looking at him now and he felt his face flush.

“No time for nerves, Stilinski. Hutchens is right. So, we need to make sure you have the chance to shoot. Boyd, you’re in for Greenburg. I’m counting on you to block at least two people.”

“Got it, coach,” Boyd responded. The twins both clapped him on the back and Stiles caught the look of relief on Greenburg’s face as he slouched over on the bench. He had taken quite a beating from the Abes and it was odd how they singled him out during the first half. No one said it, but Greenburg was one of the weaker players. Coach had a soft spot for him and everyone pretty much knew that was the reason for his position on the starting team.

“Everyone keep your eyes open and stay alert, pay attention to each other. The Abes are holding nothing back and we’re not going to lay down and let them fuck us, you got it?” _Nice image,_ Stiles thought as his mind immediately went to Derek. He felt his face flush again but this time for a completely different reason. “Hutchens, you got anything to say?”

All eyes were on Hutchens now.

“Alright, Misfits, I’ve got some news. After this game, I’m retiring.” There were a mixture of facial expressions that followed this announcement but everyone stayed quiet. “It’s been an awesome season and I’ve had some of the best times with all of you and I hope that I can count on you guys, and Erica-

Everyone laughed at his jibe but Erica took it in stride, flipping him off as everyone quieted down again. Stiles thought about letting everyone else know that this might be his last game too. He decided not to and waited for Hutchens to speak.

“I hope that I can count on you all to make my last game worthy of a championship title. Now let’s go out there and kick some ass!”

The locker room erupted into cheers. Stiles yelled right along with everyone. The team started to file out of the locker room but Hutchens held him back.

“Stilinski, a word?” Stiles motioned for Erica (who he was chatting adamantly with) to go ahead without him. She flashed him a mischievous grin and winked as she ran to catch up to the rest of the team.

“What’s up cap?”

“I wanted to let you know that I’m grateful for you coming back to the team,” Hutchens confessed, making Stiles feel uncomfortable all of a sudden. A genuine smile flashed across Stiles’ face as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Uh, thanks, Hutch.”

“I mean it, kid. I have not seen a more naturally gifted player in my life and I can’t think of anyone better who would make a great captain next season.” Stiles’ draw dropped at the praise.

“Captain? I- well, I mean, that’s a big honor but-

“Okay, I should’ve waited until after the game to drop this bomb on you. Just, think about it, okay? Coach is a little hesitant, what with everything that’s happened in the past but I think if we manage to win this game tonight he’ll officially offer you the position. But let’s get out there and win this thing first, shall we?”

Stiles wasn’t sure why he didn’t tell Hutchens, of all people, that there was a chance he wasn’t coming back next season. He decided to just let it go as he nodded to Hutchens.  

“Yeah, let’s go.”

**

Within the first minute of the second half, Stiles broke through the Abes’ defense and scored. Derek, who was goalie, looked pissed at himself for letting the ball slip right through his fingers. Stiles winked at him before he swam to the opposite side of the dome.

The team was playing on a whole different level as if the news of Hutchens’ imminent retirement drove them to perform beyond their normal level.

The ball had been released to the Abes and their captain, Laura, rushed forward with the ball tucked at her side. She had two people in front of her, ready to intercept anyone who tried to tackle her. Stiles signaled for the twins to break them up as he rushed forward. He signaled Boyd to his side and together they attempted to get the ball.

Despite Laura’s stature, she was quite nimble in the water. She easily dodged Stiles but Boyd came in behind him and knocked into her. Laura dropped the ball and Stiles recovered it, quickly scanning his surrounding before heading back towards the goal. The last player from the Abes waded in front of Derek in the goal, a second line of defense to keep Stiles from scoring. Stiles thought his plan over, watching their every move.

He knew he didn’t have long and when one of the twins (Aiden, he thinks) came up beside him he gave him a quick signal and they rushed forward. Stiles gripped the ball as tightly as he could in his right hand, curling into his body protectively as he headed straight for the girl. Aiden (or Ethan) dove below him and when the girl was disoriented, Stiles dropped the ball to him and Aiden/Ethan kicked the ball towards the goal.

Time slowed as Stiles watched the ball rocket towards the goal.

A loud buzzer rang as the ball found its mark. Stiles threw his fist in the air. They caught up. He and Aiden bumped fists as they swam back to the other side of the dome. With the game tied, the tension in the air (well, water) was more present than ever. The Abes had the ball and they were rushing forward when Stiles watched as Boyd came from below and hit one of the players hard, the ball fumbling. Stiles signaled for everyone to surround him as he willed his body to propel him quickly through the water.

Stiles’ fingers grasped the ball and together, the team headed right for the goal. Stiles didn’t know how much time was left in the game but he knew this was their last chance. The team created a protective circle around him and one by one they broke off to defend. True to his word, Boyd had corralled two of the players and was keeping them both distracted as Stiles swam towards the goal.

Stiles came to a stop when he got within shooting range. He watched Derek as he prepared himself. Derek had both of his arms out in front of him, eyes locked with Stiles’ as he, too, waited for Stiles to make a move. The world around them faded away and Stiles could hear his heart beating against his chest. Stiles had watched Derek defend the first half and could surmise that he wasn’t easily tricked.

Stiles thought about feigning left and shooting right, but he knew that Derek wouldn’t fall for a textbook trick. So he decided to not think at all as he gripped the ball in his hand and kicked his legs, pushing himself closer before he took the shot.

**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short, but I will definitely make up for it in the next chapter. 
> 
> Don't forget to leave comments and kudos!


	6. Chapter 6

The ear-piercing shriek of the final bell rang through the stadium, signaling the end of the match. Stiles stared towards the goal, mouth falling open seconds later as he saw the ball still snug in the net.

He did it.

They won.

Stiles was frozen in his place as he was still trying to wrap his head around what just happened.

Moments later, Stiles was snapped out of his reverie as his entire team came up from behind him. They tackled him, all smiles and fist-bumps as they celebrated. He managed to break free of their onslaught before wading over to Derek who flashed the most genuine smile Stiles had ever seen. Despite the fact that his team had just lost the championship match, Derek was smiling. And Stiles couldn’t help but notice the closer he got to Derek, the bigger his smile became.

Stiles held out his hand to Derek, the latter gripping it firmly as they shook. Stiles matched the intensity of Derek’s smile as he stared. Moments passed before he motioned to Derek that he should get back to his team and Derek nodded knowingly.

The second Stiles and his team emerged from the stadium, the sound of the roaring fans and the fireworks rang through his entire body. He gazed around the dome, a bit deaf for a moment as he watched everyone. Stiles was lifted into the air suddenly before the Misfits took their victory lap around the dome, waving to the fans and cheering along with them. Stiles tried to absorb every sound, every touch, and every sensation that was running through the stadium.

They circled the stadium twice before stopping at the announcer’s podium where a giant, glittering trophy waited for them. Hutchens grabbed the trophy gingerly, as if the slightest touch would break it. Stiles watched as Hutchens turned to him, handing him the trophy. He was hesitant at first but he took it, holding it high above his head as the announcer’s voice rang through the stadium.

“HERE THEY ARE, SPIRA: YOUR CHAMPIONS- THE MISFITS FROM MACALANIA!”

The rest of the night was a blur of handshakes, pats on the back, photographs, signing souvenirs, and everything in between. The celebrations went on through the night, the sun rising in the distance the only indication of how long they had been out. The team had gone out to the bar to celebrate and Stiles felt like he was invincible. For those few hours Stiles forgot about everything else. The passing of his parents, the Fayth visiting his dreams to warn him of the inevitable future- everything. Well, everything but Derek, that is. He wasn’t sure when he was going to see him again but it seemed the universe had a way of course-correcting itself when it deemed important.

The team had left the bar, all slightly worse for wear, and headed back to the hotel to sleep off the alcohol. Stiles, however, wandered to the stadium, where he sat in the top row, reliving everything that had played out the night before. The echoes of the crowd cheering his name and the distant sound of fireworks cracking in the sky rang through his mind as he closed his eyes and smiled.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

Stiles opened his eyes, blinking twice as Derek came into view.  

“Hey there.”

“Hey yourself,” Derek replied quietly with a twinkle in his eyes. Stiles’ heartbeat quickened as Derek sat down next to him. They haven’t been this close since the bar two nights before. Stiles can still remember the heat of Derek’s touch as they were centimeters apart. Derek slid close to Stiles, their legs bumping into one another. He didn’t know what to focus on; Derek’s right hand slowly sliding up Stiles’ thigh or the fact that he was leaning in closer to Stiles with every passing second.

It’s not like this would be Stiles’ first kiss, but it would be his first with Derek and the first time always gave Stiles butterflies. Even if it was just some stranger he met in a club; the first kiss was everything.

This time was no different.

The butterflies were in full flutter as Stiles closed his eyes, Derek moving his hand up to caress his face. The touch was light, surprisingly so given Derek’s outwardly rough exterior. Derek’s hand slid to rest at the back of Stiles’ neck. He took a few seconds to make sure Stiles wouldn’t turn away before he closed the distance between them, tightening his grip ever so slightly as their lips met.  

It was tentative at first, which made Stiles swoon because the fact that Derek was taking it slow, because he was letting Stiles control the kiss made everything inside him ooze and the butterflies were more spastic than ever. He practically melted into the kiss at the realization, reaching out for something sturdy, latching onto Derek’s shirt as he deepened the kiss, afraid he might be swept away at a moment’s notice. Stiles could taste the faintest hint of beer as Derek slid his tongue across his lips. Stiles’ grip tightened as he opened his mouth, sliding his tongue out to meet Derek’s. Derek slid his left hand into Stiles’ hair, gently tugging as they pulled apart. Stiles immediately protested.

“What did you stop for?” he mumbled, slightly short of breath. Derek laughed, which sent a rush of blood south.

“You’re the one who wanted to take things slow.”

“Making out is _so_ not moving fast. Yes, I want to take things slow but I’d also like to keep kissing you because you are _the_ best kisser, like, _ever._ ” Derek took Stiles’ praise into consideration, causing the latter to squirm in his seat. Derek rose from his spot, taking a few steps away from Stiles before turning around.

“You coming?”

**

Stiles spent the remainder of the morning with Derek.

They had both managed to clean themselves up, change, and meet up at a small café in under half an hour. As they sat at a little table just outside the café, there were a few people who seemed to recognize Stiles and they were unashamedly approaching him, asking him for his autograph. Stiles apologized to Derek each and every time and Derek only smiled, assuring him that he was okay. They had managed to talk a little bit between fans and Stiles was glad for the distraction.

“How’s it feel to be a celebrity?” Stiles had just bitten into his fork-full of eggs as Derek asked the question. He covered his mouth as he chewed, reaching for a napkin. He considered his question for a moment, thinking back to when he was recognized throughout Spira as a summoner more than he was for being a blitzball player. Stiles thought it would be best to wait until later to throw the whole summoner card. He wiped his mouth and smiled.

“I like it,” he said before taking a sip of his water. “Although,” he started, voice rising a little as he set his glass down. “I’d much rather be a nobody so I can enjoy my date in peace.” Derek smiled, raising his glass in a silent toast before drinking. The pair ate in silence then, enjoying the peace and quiet. Once they finished, Derek settled the bill, which Stiles made a mental note of for the next date, and they walked aimlessly through the city.

Stiles should be exhausted.

His body should be screaming at him, his muscles yelling their protest every step he took but he couldn’t feel anything. Not while him and Derek walked hand in hand down the street. Derek had nonchalantly twined their fingers together after coming out of a store tailored to blitzball players. Stiles enjoyed the feeling of his fingers locked together with Derek’s. He enjoyed feeling Derek’s heartbeat in his palm; steady, strong, constant.

Derek had led them back to the park where they went after that night in the bar. Stiles said nothing as they sat down on a bench. Derek threw his left arm over Stiles’ shoulder and pulled him in close. Stiles let his head fall on Derek, his exhaustion finally catching up to him. He stretched out his limbs as a long, intense yawn came over him. Stiles was almost certain that Derek was feeling the same way but he showed no signs of being the least bit tired. Something about that made Stiles feel something- he wasn’t sure what but he was too tired to think too much about it.

Stiles didn’t know when, but he fell asleep while leaning on Derek. He jerked awake suddenly and nearly fell off the bench. Derek had gripped his arm tightly in an effort to keep him steady, and Stiles was grateful for it.

“How long was I out?” he asked, voice gravelly.

“Half an hour, forty minutes tops,” Derek said coolly as he used his thumb to wipe a bit of slobber away from the edge of Stiles’ lips.

“Hmm.”

“You wanna head back?”

“That would be smart, I think. I don’t want to end up passed out in a gutter somewhere.” Derek laughed lightly as he helped Stiles to his feet. Derek slid his arm around Stiles’ waist.

“My place is close. You okay with crashing there?”

“As long as you promise not to make a move on me in my sleep deprived state.”

“Well, judging by the time, my sisters are probably home so I don’t think sex would be an option.”

“Sisters?”

“Yes. Two. I can properly introduce you to them another day. First, I think we both should get some rest.” Stiles nodded in agreement and they made their way to Derek’s place. Stiles barely registered entering Derek’s place, walking up a set of stairs that made him dizzy and getting into his bed. Stiles does remember his entire body sighing the instant he laid down.

“Yevon help me this bed is fantastic,” Stiles praised as he made himself comfortable. He felt the other side of the bed dip as Derek got in next to him.

“You good?” Derek asked as he got comfortable. Stiles grunted next to him and was out within seconds.

**

The moment Stiles entered his dream, he wanted to scream. Of all times, they had to visit him now? Just when he was having a good day.

He moved through his memories quickly and walked right up to the Fayth that was waiting for him at the beach. At first, he hadn’t noticed that the Fayth no longer used his body to communicate with him. Stiles’ anger lowered slightly at the sight of a little boy sitting in the sand, his violet hood hanging behind his head. Stiles recognized him as the Fayth he prayed to at the temple in Bevelle. Stiles sat in front of the Fayth and waited for him to speak.

“We’re sorry, Stiles.”

“Sorry? For what?”

“We didn’t want to bother you tonight but we had to.” Stiles noticed, then, that the Fayth sitting in front of him looked sad and he immediately felt a small tug in the center of his stomach.

“What’s wrong?” The Fayth looked right into Stiles eyes, causing a chill to slither down his spine.

“Sin is attacking.”

**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize this one isn't very long either, but I felt where I left it is the perfect cliffhanger. 
> 
> *cue evil laughter*


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is a birthday present to myself, updating today. Hope you guys enjoy and don'f forget to comment!

Stiles became aware that he was no longer dreaming.

Despite the news the Fayth had given him, Stiles woke up slowly. The first thing he realized was the distant sound of a siren. His body still ached from the night before and as he slowly turned over in the bed, the siren became louder, more obnoxious. The sound echoed inside his head, travelling through his entire body until he opened his eyes. It was barely dawn, Derek must have gotten up before him because Stiles was alone in the bed. Just as Stiles managed to swing his legs over the edge of the bed and sit himself up, Derek burst into the room.

“What are you still doing in bed? Don’t you hear the siren?” Derek rushed around the room, tossing Stiles something to throw on. Stiles had never seen Derek this frazzled and he immediately stood up and dressed quickly. As he pulled the fresh shirt over his head, Stiles had to lean against the wall momentarily. He stood up too fast and the room was spinning.

“What does the siren mean?” he asked Derek, who was knelt over on the floor, searching beneath the bed. If Stiles wasn’t concerned about Derek in that moment, he would have taken notice to how good Derek’s ass looked in his pants, pushed up in the air like that. Now wasn’t the time to get any ideas so he pushed the thought out of his head.

“Right, you aren’t from Zanarkand. It’s the city’s security alarm.”

“Alarm? What’s going on?”

And then it hit Stiles.

His dream came flooding back to him. It was Sin.

“Not sure but the city is on high alert. I was out running when it started. People are evacuating into the mountains.”

“It’s Sin,” Stiles mumbled under his breath, causing Derek to stop searching. He squinted at Stiles, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Stiles inhaled deeply.

“The Fayth visited me in my dreams last night. They told me Sin was attacking. But since nothing is happening here, I believe it is attacking somewhere nearby. I need to get back to the hotel and then figure out where.” Derek looked even more dumbfounded at Stiles’ announcement. Stiles searched Derek for an answer he wasn’t sure he’d find. Did Derek know that Stiles was a summoner? Does he know about his past and he’s just choosing to be polite and not say anything? Stiles decided he’d let Derek in on everything as soon as they got back to the hotel.

“I don’t know how much you know about me, and I hate myself for not telling you sooner, but right now I need to get going. I can fill you in later. Will you come with me?”

“Yes, I just need to find something first.” Derek rummaged through his drawers until he found what he was looking for. Stiles watched as he slipped as small ring onto his right index finger. Derek twirled the ring around his finger a few times before turning to Stiles.

“Let’s go.”

**

The people of Zanarkand flocked the streets, carrying all they could as they evacuated the city. Stiles had never seen this many people at once and he felt very small all of a sudden. He did his best not to panic as he moved as quickly as he could through the tide of people towards the hotel. When he made it to the front door, he heard his name being called out from behind him. He turned around in time to see Scott running towards him. There was a girl with him, who Stiles vaguely remembers from the bar.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Scott said as he pulled Stiles in for a hug. “The whole city’s evacuating. Allison filled me in on the whole alarm thing. What are you still doing in the city?”

“Sin is attacking.”

Scott didn’t need any reassurance- he trusted Stiles. Scott simply nodded his head.

“Oh, this is Allison, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said cheerfully, extending her hand to shake Stiles’.

“Same to you,” Stiles replied. “Scott, Allison, this is Derek.” Scott and Derek mirrored Stiles and Allison as they shook hands. Derek smiled at Allison as he moved forward and hugged her. Stiles looked between them for a second then remembered that Derek knew her.

“You two know each other?” asked Scott, verbalizing Stiles’ epiphany.

“I used to work for her father,” Derek answered simply.

“Small world.” The group stood in silence for a few moments, the harsh sound of the city’s alarm ringing loudly between them. Stiles was about to speak up when, once again, he heard his name being called out from a distance.

“Lord Stiles!” It was Lady Michaela from the temple in Djose. By the time she got to them, she was sweating and out of breath.

“Lady Michaela, what are you doing here?”

“Why don’t we go inside where it’s at least a little bit quieter?” Derek suggested. So everyone shuffled into the hotel and began their ascent to Stiles’ room. Lady Michaela had finally caught her breath and she turned to Stiles.

“A few of the healers in Djose were asked to come for the blitzball match. The championship match always brings out the best, and worst in people. We’ve been tending to those who were injured in the game and those who got into accidents from all the commotion. Oh, congratulations, by the way, Lord Stiles!”

“Thank you, Lady Michaela.” The group filed out onto the third floor of the hotel.

“I didn’t know you were in the tournament.”

“Yes, well, after what happened-

“No need to explain, my lord.” Stiles looked to Derek suddenly, who was now looking at him differently. By the look on his face, Stiles knew that Derek had figured it out. He didn’t seem angry or upset, just curious, really.

“Most, if not all soldiers, healers, and summoners are being ordered to the **Calm Lands** to fight.”

“Sin is attacking the Calm Lands?”

“Yes. We will need as many people as we can. I’ve heard the **Sinspawn** are destroying everything.” Stiles opened his apartment door and moved quickly to the armoire on the opposite side of the room. He pushed some of his clothes out of the way and wrapped his fingers around his staff. It has been a long time since he’s used his staff and Stiles only hoped that his magic was good enough to help those in need. He grabbed the small harness for it and began strapping it over his chest and around his back as he turned towards everyone.

“Scott, I need to ask for your help. I’m going to the Calm Lands. Will you come with me?”

“Of course, Stiles. You know I’d go anywhere with you.” Stiles turned to Derek then.

“Derek, I’m sorry but I need to go.” Derek approached him, staring into his golden eyes as he gently took Stiles’ hand in his.

“I’m not leaving you,” he said quietly, leaning in until their foreheads touched.

Stiles didn’t know how to respond to Derek. They had only just met days before, they have only been on one date and already Derek is willing to follow Stiles even though there is a chance they both might not survive. Derek’s devotion to Stiles this early in their relationship scared him more than the prospect of facing Sin. His lips couldn’t form the words he desperately needed to say so instead, Stiles closed the distance between them and did the next best thing. Stiles framed Derek’s face with his hands, fingers splaying over the sides of his face as he kissed him. Stiles willed Derek to understand the meaning behind his kiss. He was giving him everything he had in this one kiss because, frankly, it may be their last.

Derek had slid his hands around Stiles’ waist as they connected, thumbs hooked loosely in the hem of Stiles’ pants. Derek’s thumbs were lazily circling the exposed skin as they slowly pulled away from each other. Stiles rested his arms around Derek’s shoulders as they caught their breath. It turns out, Stiles didn’t need to say anything because in that moment, it was clear that Derek understood what Stiles was feeling.

 “Dude, you got a dude!” Scott’s voice broke through the silence, snapping Stiles and Derek back into reality. Stiles felt his face flush as he looked towards his friend. Leave it to Scott to turn a serious situation light.

“Sorry.” Stiles wasn’t quite sure why he was apologizing but Scott waved it off.

“It’s fine, man. Trust me, in times like these, it’s nice to have someone in your life.” Stiles caught Scott chancing a not-so subtle glance at Allison, who smiled at the pair of them.

“My lord, I don’t mean to be insensitive, but we need to get going.”

“Right. We need to get to the Calm Lands.”

“It’s going to take forever if we go through Mt. Gagazet,” said Scott.

“I have a way to get there quicker. Come on.” Everyone followed Derek out of the building and onto the streets. The siren continued to wail it’s warning, though Zanarkand seemed to be completely deserted. The city felt cold and dead with no people in it and despite the intensity of the sun beaming down above them, Stiles felt a chill run through him. The group moved quickly through the streets, Derek leading them around corners and through small alleys.

“We need to find an open square, somewhere big enough for- here! Everyone just stand way from me for a second,” Derek instructed. They all backed away and Stiles watched as Derek’s left hand came up to his right and twirled the ring he had put on earlier. Derek brought the ring to his mouth and kissed it. What happened next made Stiles’ jaw drop.

Derek had raised his hand up towards the sky and moments later a **Zu** appeared in the sky. The large bird landed next to Derek, black feathers ruffling as its wings tucked firmly to its side. Derek greeted the Zu with gentle rub on its beak. After the initial shock passed, Stiles then realized how Derek was able to do what he just did.

“You’re part **Guado** ,” Stiles said as he stood next to Derek, holding his hand out for the Zu to nuzzle against. Derek simply nodded next to him as he signaled for the rest of them to come forward. Derek then held his hand against the bird’s head and closed his eyes, communicating to it that they needed to ride it.

“She can carry only four of us comfortably, I’m afraid.”

“That’s quite alright,” Lady Michaela said, coming up next to Stiles. “I will head towards Mt. Gagazet and make sure the evacuation went off without any issues. **Yevon** be with you all,” she said before bowing. Stiles immediately did the same as if by reflex.

“Safe travels, my lady,” Stiles replied. And with that, she was gone.

“Alright, everyone be careful as they climb on,” Derek warned as he was the first to throw his legs over the beast. Stiles knew that the Guado were renowned for their abilities to communicate with fiends and summon them at will. He had met a few Guado back in Macalania but Derek looked nothing like them. Although, the difference in eye color might be a small indication but Stiles was unsure.

“Everyone secure?” Derek asked over the alarm.

“We’re good back here,” shouted Scott. Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek’s waist and rested his head on his back, giving Derek a small nod. Seconds later the Zu spread its massive wings and took to the air.

**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calm Lands: A vast, open land that is the site of a brutal fight between Sin and the people of Spira.   
> Zu: A large, jet black bird.   
> Yevon: I think of Yevon as being God in the FFX world.   
> Sinspawn: These are creatures, small and large, that fall off of Sin's body. I guess you could think of them as Sin's children.   
> Guado: A race of individuals that are from Gudosalam. They are extremely faithful people to their own kind. In the FFX game, despite one of their own killing his father, they protect him and fight those who would try to stop him. In the game you see Guado having the ability to summon fiends in battle.


	8. Chapter 8

Stiles heard the battle before he saw it.

The sounds echoing over the mountains set his teeth on edge. Metal tearing flesh, a mixture of the screams of those falling pierced his very being. Stiles mentally prepared himself for what he was about to see. Just as the Zu flew over the peak of the last mountaintop, Stiles was blinded by the sun. He instinctively threw his hands up over his face, waiting for the initial blindness to pass and took in the scene below.

Lady Michaela was right: the Calm Lands were completely devastated by the battle. Stiles couldn’t decipher man from beast on the ground below, glimmering swords flying every which way, fiends and Sinspawn alike attacked anything and everything they could get their respective appendages on. Stiles felt a sudden pull towards something but he was unsure of what, or who, it was. Stiles continued to survey the field below, trying to find the source of the sensation.

“I don’t want to stay up here long,” Derek shouted over the sound of the carnage below. “We’ll start to draw attention to ourselves.” Sure enough, just as the words left Derek’s mouth, some of the winged fiends took notice to their arrival and began flocking towards them.

“I saw an encampment about half a mile on the road towards the mountains!” Yelled Scott from behind them, but the fiends were on them in seconds. Derek tried to maneuver them out of the way but they were surrounded.

“Scott, can you take them out?” Scott was already on it. A dark cloud appeared above them as Scott channeled his magic.

“This is going to make some noise, so we need to move fast,” Scott warned as he threw his hands in the air, lightning striking the fiends surrounding them. Derek moved them out of the way moments after. Stiles closed his eyes and said a quick prayer in an effort to help the fiends find their way to the Farplane. Just as Derek managed to get them away from the battle, a large bird, about the same size as the one they were riding came up behind them.

“Scott?” Stiles yelled behind him, sounding a bit worried.

“Working on it,” he replied. Stiles could feel Scott shifting his position behind him. Lightning cracked through the sky once again but by the sound of the grunt that came from behind him made Stiles believe his magic wasn’t enough. Without thinking, Stiles reached for his staff, unclasping the harness as he did so. Stiles put one hand on Derek’s shoulder as he turned around, leaning on Derek for support.

“How close are we to the encampment Derek?”

“Five hundred yards.”

Stiles wasted no time raising his staff towards the sky, willing a bright beam of energy to do his bidding. The beam struck the large bird directly on the back and moments later, the fiend exploded into pyre flies. Once again, Stiles prayed for the safe travels of the fiend’s soul to the Farplane. As they began their descent to the ground, Stiles leaned back against Derek, swallowing the rising burn in his throat.

“Stiles, we’re on the ground.” Stiles heard Derek’s voice but it was fuzzy and low. A dull throbbing pounded against his skull as he slid off the back of the Zu and onto the ground. He stumbled a few steps before he felt two arms wrap around his waist in support.

“It’s alright, Stiles, we got ya.” Scott was next to him, guiding Stiles towards a tent.

“What do we got?” A voice Stiles didn’t recognize filled the tent as he was helped onto a bed. Stiles had a hard time staying conscious as the voices swarmed around him. Within moments, Stiles was asleep.

**

(Derek’s Perspective)

“What’s wrong with him, Laura?” Derek asked as he knelt beside the bed where Stiles was lying.

“Over exhaustion, it would seem. We saw the magic he did but a skilled mage wouldn’t pass out after something like that. So we think that he’s been out of practice for a while, or just beginning,” Laura replied as she jotted something down on a piece of paper.

“He’s a summoner.” Laura stopped writing and looked at Derek, looking between the two of them.

“I thought he was a blitz player? How long has he been a summoner?”

“I don’t know, Laura. We’re taking things slow. He didn’t want to rush things and we haven’t had the chance to talk about the past yet. Other than our shared experiences with losing family,” Derek said solemnly as he pushed a stray hair away from Stiles’ face. “Besides, being a summoner and a blitz player aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“I get that, Der, and I know it’s none of my business but if he’s a summoner, how could you possibly think of building a life with him?” Derek’s head snapped towards his older sister, eyes squinted in anger.

“Where do you get off telling me I can't see someone because of what they do? You had no problem getting with Luke,” he snapped, causing Laura to take a few steps back.

“That’s not fair, Derek, Luke was not a summoner!” Laura was the first to start to raise her voice, which only made Derek more agitated.

“But he was a soldier! You knew going in to your relationship that the chance he could die while serving was high.”

“You’ve only just met this guy, you hardly know him, yet here you are at his bedside, holding his hand as if you'd been together for years! What? Are you in love with him? After two days?”

“Get out,” Derek said calmly, his anger turning to hatred as he refused to look at his sister.

“Is everything okay?” Derek and Laura turned to see Scott walking into the tent. “Sorry if I’m interrupting,” he apologized, standing at the foot of Stiles’ bed.

“No, you’re fine,” Laura snapped, eyes glued to Derek in an effort to get him to look at her.

“Your medical troops are preparing to enter the battle field to recover the wounded, they wanted me to let you know,” Scott said, eyes glued on Stiles while he spoke.

“You know as well as I do this is just another one of your ploys for attention. Your shiny new toy. It’s happened before, remember? So, when you’re done with whatever this is, Derek, don’t expect me to pick you up and put you back together.”

Derek choked back his tears as he listened to his sister leave the tent, huffing her way out. Scott came up next to the bed, face neutral as he sat down where Laura was sitting.

“How is he?” Scott asked.

“He’s fine, just needs his rest.” Scott nodded, leaning back in his chair.

Neither of the two spoke as they watched Stiles, equally concerned for his recovery. Derek immediately regretted his behavior towards his big sister but Stiles was different than all the other people Derek brought home. Stiles was different somehow but he couldn’t explain it. Every time Stiles was near Derek had difficulty breathing and when Stiles would stare at him with his painfully beautiful honey-gold eyes, Derek’s heart would stop. Derek let himself be upset for a few more minutes and then he wasn’t anymore. He stared at Stiles, mapped the small moles spattered up his chin and around his face as the time passed.

Derek wanted nothing more than to get to know Stiles. To learn about his past. To learn _who_ Stiles was so that he could fall completely in his embrace. He knew that once he knew everything there was to know about the tall, lean, mesmerizing blitzball playing summoner from Macalania, there would be nothing to keep him from falling head over heels in love with him.

**

Scott had left about an hour or two ago and came back with food, water, and an update on how the battle was going. There had been many casualties, though the fighting on the ground was over for the time being. Sin was still floating towards the horizon but no longer sent his spawn to attack. Derek thanked him for the food, setting his share down on the table next to them. He listened as Scott's chewing filled the silence of the tent. There were a few other people in the other beds now but they were passed out, not making a sound.

“How long have you known Stiles?” Derek asked suddenly, making Scott look over to him. Scott took a swig of his water, searching Derek for his intentions before answering.

“Since we were kids. I lost my dad around the same time he lost his mom. We lived on Besaid before we moved to Macalania. When Stiles and I met, we were instant friends. Eventually, he and I started our studies at the temple- he became a summoner while I studied with some of Macalania’s best mages and swordsmen. When our training finished, he asked me to be his guardian and we set off on our pilgrimage.”

“And then his father passed.” Scott gave Derek a once over. “He told me that night at the bar that his parents were gone. I was surprised that he told me something so personal.”

“You must be quite the guy,” Scott praised, making Derek smile. Silence ensued for a few moments before Scott kept talking. “Well, when his dad passed, something inside his head just- snapped. I’ve never seen him so distraught. He quit his pilgrimage soon after.”

“How’d he get into blitzball?”

“We used to play together during our training. It was just for fun and to blow off steam. But as you may well know, he’s a natural. Our local team noticed him and when he came stumbling back into town, they recruited him.”

“I didn’t imagine his past being so complicated.”

“Everyone has skeletons in their closet, Derek. Stiles just seems to have more than others,” Scott said solemnly. “I hope you don’t mind me telling you all this. I know Stiles would have wanted to tell you himself, but given the nature of things-

“No, it’s fine. You’re right, given the circumstances, I think he would just want me to know so that I knew everything he had to offer.”

“This is a rough time to meet new people, especially given who Stiles is. But I think he really likes you, Derek. Just don’t fuck it up because I swear to you that you won’t like me when I’m pissed off.” Derek sensed that there was a hint of playfulness in Scott’s threat but not much. Besides, the way Scott was able to take down a flock of fiends single-handedly gave Derek the impression Stiles wasn’t someone to mess with.

“I won’t hurt him,” Derek said quietly, bringing Stiles’ hand to his lips. He kissed him softly, guiding Stiles’ hand back to the mattress.

**

(Stiles’ Perspective)

“I still don’t understand why I am here.”

Stiles was sitting in the middle of a large, open field that resembled the Calm Lands. The same Fayth that was in Stiles’ last dream sat across from him.

“We believe that it was your subconscious that brought you hear after you fainted. As to why, we cannot say,” the Fayth said calmly.  

“Tell me what you meant, then, during our last conversation. You said I must return to where it all started. I don’t understand what you meant by that.” The Fayth considered Stiles’ request, the little boy tilting his head slightly to the side. He smiled then, standing from his spot.

“We trust that you can figure this out on your own. But fear not, Lord Stiles, the current battle will be ending soon. Answers will follow.”

“How do you know the battle will end soon?” The Fayth turned away from Stiles and stared towards the sun as he spoke.

“Lady Yocun prays to us, she wishes for our help to defeat Sin and we will give it to her. The Calm is upon us,” the Fayth spoke quietly. Stiles noticed the faint desperation in the boy’s voice.

“What is wrong?” The Fayth then looked towards the ground, body slack, shoulders fallen.

“We have been dreaming for so long. Perhaps … this will be the end.” Stiles was confused by his words.

“What do you mean?” The Fayth looked towards the sky once more.

“Lady Yocun beckons, and we must go. Until we meet again, young summoner.” The Fayth then rose towards the sky, disappearing a moment later.

Stiles woke from his slumber, fully aware of where he was and who was sitting next to him. Derek must have fallen asleep waiting for Stiles to come to. Stiles watched the gentle rise and fall of Derek’s breath as he slept. Just then, Scott came into the tent, his face lighting up with the biggest smile he’d ever seen grace his friend’s face.

“We were starting to worry,” he said as he came up next to Stiles. He clapped him on the shoulder and set the cup of water he was carrying down on the bed side table.

“How long was I out?”

“A few hours,” Scott replied. Stiles nodded before looking back to Derek, who was still asleep.

“He’s been there the whole time,” Scott supplied, winking at Stiles when he looked over at him. Stiles smiled at his friend.

“How is the fight going?”

“A second wave of spawn hit not too long ago, but those still able to fight took care of them.”

“Lady Yocun is performing the final summoning,” Stiles said quietly as he moved his fingers through Derek’s hair absentmindedly. He hated himself for it, but he couldn’t help but feel useless as he lay there. It has been so long since he prayed that his body attacked itself when Stiles uses his magic. How was he supposed to help anyone if he couldn’t cast a simple spell without collapsing to the ground?

“The Fayth visited you again?” Scott asked. No matter how many times Stiles had told Scott about his visits from the Fayth, he always seemed so amazed by it. It reminded him of their day as children when they first began their training. When Stiles summoned Shiva for the first time (which was much sooner than any of the maestors thought possible), Scott was beside himself.

“Yes. Lady Yocun is going to bring us The Calm.” Scott looked relieved as he fell back into his chair. Stiles continued his mindless assault on Derek’s scalp until he was roused from his slumber.

“It’s about time, sleepy head, I thought you were going to drool,” Stiles said playfully, hand still resting on Derek’s head as the latter turned towards him. Derek flashed Stiles the most attractive, sleep-induced grin that Stiles had ever witness. Of course Derek would be the one person to look good after sleeping hunched over a bed for who knows how long, messy hair and all.

“How are you?”

“Better.” Derek moved up next to Stiles then and kissed him. Stiles welcomed the embrace as he wrapped his arms around Derek’s neck.   


“I’ll leave you two alone,” Scott said as he stood from his spot. Stiles and Derek chose to ignore him as Derek practically mounted Stiles on the bed. Scott just shook his head as he walked out of the tent. Stiles moaned into their kiss, which was getting more intense by the second. He slid his hands under Derek’s shirt, mentally groaning at how fucking hard Derek’s muscles were. As he pulled away from the kiss, Stiles blinked twice, staring up into Derek’s multi-colored eyes.

“Did I ever say how much I love kissing you?” Derek laughed, pushing Stiles’ hair out of his face.

“It might have come up.” Stiles hummed, hands resting on Derek’s waist as they stared at each other. Stiles could stay like this for eternity. With Derek above him, looking at him the way he is makes Stiles yearn for the future. Stiles slides his hands up Derek’s sides and up to his face, fingers splaying over Derek’s fuzz. Stiles pulls him down for another kiss, sliding his tongue up into Derek’s mouth, savoring every second of them being connected. When Derek pulls away, his mouth is a bit swollen and red from where Stiles had bitten down.

“As much as I would hate to stop this,” Derek started, a bit breathless. “I think we should get up before someone walks in.” Stiles sat himself up with Derek still in his lap and kissed him for the third time in minutes.

“Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“My idea of an adventure is not getting caught with my pants down in the middle of a war.” Stiles sighed dramatically as he fell back to the bed.

“And to think- I was gonna let you blow me.” Derek’s eyes narrowed, lips pursing at Stiles. The latter merely shrugged, moving to get up off of the bed. Derek grabbed Stiles arms and forced them above his head, trapping him. Stiles watched as the edge of Derek’s mouth twitched into a smile before he kissed up the side of Stiles’ neck. Derek worked on Stiles’ shirt, pushing it above head and around the back of his neck. Derek let go of Stiles arms then to slide his hands down Stiles’ side, making him shiver.

Stiles stifled a moan as Derek flicked his tongue over his nipples, sliding down to his abdomen. Stiles bucked his hips upward, seeking friction. Derek used one hand to hold him down, eyes coming up to meet Stiles. Stiles breath caught in his throat as he watched Derek pull his pants down, revealing Stiles’ hardening cock. Derek kept eye contact as he gripped Stiles in his hands, lazily jerking him off.

Stiles threw his head back as Derek licked up the underside of his cock. Stiles gripped Derek’s hair in his hand, making Derek grunt. He felt Derek swirl his tongue around the head of his cock before he took him into his mouth. Stiles bit down on his fist, trying his best to stifle the sound that Derek was pulling out of him.

Derek hummed as he took Stiles all the way. He pressed his tongue against the Stiles’ cock as he bobbed his head up and down. Stiles was a mess above him, unintelligible works spewing from his mouth. Stiles tugged and pulled at Derek’s hair, making the latter growl in turn.

“Derek- I- fuck,” Stiles managed as Derek started massaging his balls. Derek worked up a rhythm, moving his hand away from Stiles’ waist, allowing him to fuck up into his mouth. Stiles locked eyes with Derek, tucking the image of Derek’s mouth around his cock for later.

“Your mouth feels so fucking good, Derek,” he said between moans. Derek hummed below him, hand coming up to play with Stiles’ nipple. Stiles grabbed Derek’s wrist and brought his fingers to his mouth, sucking on his index and middle finger, mirroring Derek’s tongue. Stiles and Derek were moving in tandem now. As Stiles thrust his hips upward, Derek would bob his head down. Stiles felt his abdomen start to tense, his entire body began trembling the closer he got to his climax.

“Derek, I’m cl- fuck!” Stiles screamed out as Derek slid his slicked finger inside Stiles, making him shudder as he fell over the edge and into the sweet abyss. Stiles rode his high, feeling himself melt into the bed. He felt the bed shift next to him as Derek came up to lay with him. Derek kissed him softly before resting his head on Stiles’ chest. Stiles’ entire body was relaxed and his mind felt at ease as they just lay there together, eventually their hearts beat in tandem.

For that moment Stiles didn’t worry himself about what was happening outside their tent. He was focused on the here and now. Sooner or later he’ll be forced back into reality but for now, Stiles is perfectly content with living in his own little bubble.

**


	9. Chapter 9

“They say hindsight is twenty-twenty,” Stiles said out loud, breaking the silence between him and Derek. He grabbed Derek’s hand and spread his fingers apart, trailing his own index finger over Derek’s palm. “I should have known I couldn’t just quit being a summoner. Sooner or later, the Fayth would have come back to me for the past few weeks they’ve visited me in my dreams. I guess I was just too stubborn or angry about what happened with my dad that I didn’t put two and two together. I guess, in a way, I was mad at them for not preventing his death.” Stiles slid his hand against Derek’s palm, fanning his fingers out to match with Derek’s. Stiles’ fingers were longer than Derek’s, but Derek’s hand was overall wider. He contemplated their hands for a moment before he linked their hands together.  

“I don’t know where my life is going but what I _do_ know is that I can’t ignore who I am anymore.” Stiles turned over in the bed, watching Derek react, or rather, not react by the look on his face. He contemplated Derek’s lack of expression before he kept talking.

“So what I guess I’m trying to say is that I want to know what you’re thinking. Though, I want you to know that I’m not asking you to put your life on hold for me. I know that this is everything that’s happened to us is a lot in such a short amount of time, I mean, we just met each other not even a week ago but my life is so much clearer now and I think a part of that is because you’re in it and that honestly makes me feel so good but it also scares me. I’ve never felt this way about someone and I don’t want to push you away because I am too afraid of what might happen. Then there’s the whole me being a summoner… thing and everything that comes with that I just-” Derek smiled then, which caught Stiles a little off guard. In a split second Stiles thoughts were jumbled and he forgot what he was going to say all because of Derek’s gorgeously emerald and sapphire eyes. He was stuck with his mouth hanging open, brows furrowed in confusion as he tried to salvage the conversation.

“I forget what I was going to say.” Derek laughed and Stiles felt his heart drop to his toes. Derek squeezed Stiles’ hand in his, moving it up to his lips, kissing their joined hands three times. Stiles couldn’t help but smile as Derek moved in to kiss him softly. When Derek pulled away, he made sure Stiles’ attention was right on him and nowhere else.

“I’ve been through some bad shit in my life. I’ll let you know here and now that whatever’s in store for us, I’m not gonna shy away at the first sign of trouble. I’m here with you and I don’t plan on going anywhere. Sure, we only met a few days ago but I’ve learned that life is too short to worry about the future. And there’s something about you that gives me this feeling I can’t explain and I sure as hell don’t want to stop whatever,” Derek paused to gesture between them, lifting their entangled hands in the air- “this is. I’ve never felt this way about someone and I am invested in this to the end.”

Stiles felt his throat clench at Derek’s sentiment. He stared at Derek as if he had sprouted wings and flown into the sun (it’s a strange image, granted, if someone were to all of a sudden sprout wings for no apparent reason and fly off to towards the sun, would any normal person find that, well, normal? I think you get the picture, really.).

“Where the fuck have you been all my life, Derek Hale?” Stiles pulled Derek close to him, kissing him hard. Stiles’ chest was on fire and his head was spinning but he couldn’t care less. The closer he got to Derek, the more intense the feelings became. It was as if his mind and body were at war with each other. He knew, deep down that the possibility of losing Derek (just like everything else in his life) was very high given what his future held. There was a part of him, though, that was taking Derek’s words to heart; the future is always clouded in mystery and it was counterproductive to worry about every little detail. So Stiles pushed the thought of what _could_ be out of his mind and focused on what _is_.

“We should get up,” Stiles said, breathless as he pulled away from Derek. Stiles sat up and situated himself, pulling his pants up around his waist, tucking himself in more comfortably. He ignored the mess on the bed and led Derek out of the tent, both shielding their eyes from the sun as they were blinded by its rays.

“Look whose up!” Stiles heard Scott’s voice before he saw him. Scott came up to them, embracing Stiles in a hug before clapping him on the back.

 “How is everything?” Stiles asked seriously, glancing around to gauge the situation.

“We’ve lost some people,” Scott answered, his attitude shifting suddenly. “Sin keeps on spawning new monsters and we’ve been having trouble keeping them under control. If this keeps up any longer, I fear not many people will be left standing.”

“I’m going back out there.” Scott looked at him wearily.

“You sure?”

“Yes. People are dying and I’m just sitting here.”

“What about your powers? How are you going to defend yourself?” Stiles placed a consoling hand on Scott’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry about me, Scott. I know what I have to do. If that means putting myself on the front lines to defend the people of Spira, then I’m going to do it.”

“He won’t be alone,” Derek interjected, making Stiles smile.

“You think I was going to let him leave without me?” Scott asked Derek.

“Of course not.”

“Alright then,” Stiles said, smiling at the two most important men in his life. “We’ve got some Sinspawn to kill.”

Derek had led them away from the camp before he called for their giant feathered friend to help them back to the Calm Lands. Stiles loved the feeling of being in the air, soaring above everything below. The wind blew in his face and he felt so weightless, so carefree in the sky. Stiles envied birds, in that moment and he found himself laughing at the prospect of having wings and being able to fly wherever he wanted whenever he wanted.

Once again, Stiles heard the sounds of the fight before the Zu passed over the mountains and out into the open field. Stiles motioned for Derek to land where there were a handful of people gathered around, tending to the wounded. Stiles slid off the Zu and was assessing the situation in a flash. A few people recognized him for being a summoner and bowed their heads before giving him details of the wounded. Stiles did a mental count of the medical supplies, rationalizing in his head that they didn’t have enough for the wounded they had, let alone those who may become wounded in time. Stiles saw an area that had rows of bodies lined up and he suddenly felt sick. He didn’t have time to be queasy, however, so he forgot about the dead bodies, mere inches away and focused.

“I will see to the more severe cases,” Stiles said with surprising authority. Everyone else gathered around him. “Those who have minor wounds, do what you can to cover them up to avoid infection and prep them to be transported back to the medical tents when the medics come. They may have internal damages so be as cautious as you can. Use your best judgment. If you don’t think they will survive the journey, keep them comfortable. May Yevon be with you all.” The crowd broke up and Stiles immediately attended to wounded.

There were three soldiers- scratch that- two soldiers and a summoner lying on the ground, a thin white cloth beneath them. The soldiers were badly beaten with claw and teeth marks all over their bodies. Stiles examined their wounds closely, trying his best to remember his medical training. There were deep lacerations to their abdomens, legs, and upper arms. The summoner had a gash trailing from just above her eye to her jawline. Stiles feared that she may lose her sight in that eye. The bandages were doing their job of keeping them from bleeding out but Stiles knew that was only a temporary fix.

He closed his eyes, then, as he held one hand over the closest soldier’s heart and the other over his most severe wound. He focused all of his energy to fuse with the soldier’s energy, willing his body to heal itself. Stiles felt a strong pull in the pit of his stomach as he shifted to the next soldier. Stiles felt their energies combine and it was almost too overwhelming. He felt a persistent pain in the back of his head start but he ignored it, moving, now, to the summoner. Stiles opened his eyes as he worked on her. Stiles was distracted by how young she looked. She couldn’t be older than eighteen and Stiles couldn’t help but think that he could very well be in her place if things were different. A new wave of determination rushed through him as he did what he could to heal the girl’s wounds, to keep her from leaving this world prematurely.

When Stiles was finished, he stood up slowly, turning his head to one side until his neck popped, then did the same in the opposite direction. Stiles looked out towards the current fight, eyes travelling to where Sin continued to sit by, watching everything play out. Just then, Stiles heard the cry of a chocobo as the medic soldiers rode into view. Laura was with them and she did a double take when she saw Stiles.

“You’re up,” she said simply, hands on her hips as her eyes trailed up and down his body.

“Yes,” he replied softly, keeping his voice even.

“What’s the situation?”

“We think some of the wounded are fit enough to ride on the chocobos back to the healing tents. I believe their wounds are only superficial, but I can’t be sure. It’s best to get them back for more thorough examinations. These three here,” Stiles said as he pointed to the three people he just treated, “cannot be moved by chocobo. Their wounds are much deeper and need time to heal.” Derek came up next to him then and Stiles noticed Laura’s body language change almost instantly.

“I can take them back on the Zu. We can use rope to fasten them and I will make sure they are safe,” Derek offered, ignoring his sister who was glaring so hard at him Stiles swore she was going to explode. He decided now was not the best time to ask what their problem was. He thought about Derek’s plan but shook his head.

“No, with the condition they’re in, they can’t be moved. It is best to keep them here until we have better means of transport.” Derek nodded, glancing briefly at Laura before heading over to help secure those who were leaving. Laura stared off into the distance and Stiles felt really uncomfortable. He found himself surveying the area, his brain running a mile a minute. There really wasn’t a lot of options for them as far as shelter was concerned. If it started to rain, Stiles feared that those still here would fall victim to infection. Stiles just wanted this all to be over. No sooner had he thought this to himself, commotion broke out amongst the people around him. He turned to them, watching them point towards the battle in awe. Stiles turned around, preparing himself for the worst.

An enormous, winged creature came flying over the mountain, clad in the most exotic garments Stiles had ever seen. The figure was carrying a sword and shield, the large metal blade shining brightly in the sun. Sin had taken notice to the new player in the battle and took action. Sin’s entire body was surrounded by a sparkling, violet bubble in seconds. The figure went straight for Sin, brandishing its sword, a low guttural noise emanating from it as it swung at the purple shield. They all watched as the shield shattered, a gust of wind blowing towards them in the aftermath.

Stiles watched as Sin generated a large orb of power, hurling it towards the figure. The latter brought its shield up, successfully blocking the attack. The two giants fought in the distance, their battle cries reverberating off the cliffs of Mt. Gagazet. The ground shook beneath them as Sin landed a blow to the figure, knocking it over. As Stiles watched the two beings fight, something clicked in his head. He knew what that was, rather, _who_ that was facing Sin. She had done it. She successfully summoned the final aeon.

“Lady Yocun.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit longer than usual because I wanted to give you guys a treat for being so patient. Only one more chapter to go!

(One week later- Lady Yocun defeated Sin and  **The Calm** begins)

Everything had finally settled down after Sin’s attack on the Calm Lands. Once the fighting was over, Scott and Stiles helped the remaining soldiers care for the wounded and Stiles performed the sending for those who had passed.

Stiles struggled between feeling guilty and upset about not being able to protect those who were killed and relieved that for ten years, the world would be at peace. However, despite the supposedly bright outlook on life most of Spira is experiencing in the wake of Sin’s destruction, Stiles knew that his life was going to change all over again.

He made the decision to start up his pilgrimage again so that he was prepared to fight Sin if it returned in ten years. Before he left, Stiles wanted to make sure he was no longer needed in Zanarkand. The maestors of the Zanarkand temple requested he stay and help with the care of those who were still recovering from the fight. Stiles was grateful for their persistence because he learned a lot from the healers at the temple. Though he had only been there for a week, he felt confident about his abilities and besides, Stiles is a very quick study.

The night before Stiles was set to leave for his pilgrimage, he invited all of his friends over to his place for dinner. Some of the guys (and Erica) from the team showed up, Scott and his new girlfriend Allison were there too and much to his surprise and excitement, Lydia showed up too. The room was filled with conversation as everyone ate and had a good time. Stiles told those who didn’t witness the fight how it all played out, how flabbergasted everyone was when Lady Yocun’s aeon came flying over Mt. Gagazet, and everything in between. For the first time in a while Stiles felt at peace, happy even. Once the conversation settled down a little, Stiles pushed his chair back and stood with his glass of wine in one hand. All eyes were on him as he addressed them.

“I’d like to thank all of you for coming out tonight. For those of you who don’t know, I am starting up my pilgrimage again so that I can be ready if Sin were to return. I know some of you may be thinking this is too premature, but I want to finish what I started. I will not be doing this alone,” Stiles continues, catching Derek’s and Scott’s attention, smiling in their direction. “I am grateful to have friends who are willing to risk their lives to see my journey to the end. So, I ask you all to keep us in your thoughts and I hope the next ten years brings peace and prosperity to everyone.” Everyone held their glasses in the air, the soft tinkling sound echoing off the walls as they toasted towards a healthy future.

Once dinner was over, everyone moved outside to the over-sized balcony that overlooked the city. Derek and Hutchens (David) had stayed behind to help Stiles clear off the table and start the dishes. The three of them formed a makeshift assembly line; Stiles washed the dishes, Derek dried them and David placed them in the cabinets above the counter.

“This is a pretty nice place you’ve got here, Stiles,” David praised as Derek handed him a wet plate.

“Thanks. Being a blitz player and former summoner- well, former, former, I guess, has its perks. Though when my grandparents passed a few years ago they left me a sizeable inheritance, so I do pretty well.”

“Do you need someone to look after the place while you’re gone?” Stiles hadn’t thought of that and he was instantly grateful for David.

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all, Stiles.” Derek was oddly silent as he dried the dishes and Stiles gave him a pointed look, trying to gauge his thoughts.

“I really appreciate it, David. I’ll have to make it up to you when I get back.”

“As long as you come back in one piece, that’s payment enough.” Stiles noticed how Derek tensed at David’s words and found it to be unusual. What was his problem?

“Looks like Greenburg is starting to enjoy himself a little too much. You two okay in here?”

“Yeah, David, thanks for the help.” David set the washcloth he was using down on the counter and headed outside. Stiles gave Derek a minute or two of silence before he started prodding.

“You okay, Derek?” Derek was silent next to him as he rinsed off the dishes and set them on the counter next to him. Stiles didn’t want to get angry with him or have a fight. So he waited to figure it out until all of the dishes were washed, dried and put away. Stiles wasn’t sure if Derek was going to try to go outside to avoid talking or if he would just stand there, mute as ever.

“Okay, Derek, what’s your deal? What’s got you all pouty?” Derek turned to him them, brows furrowed slightly as if he wasn’t quite sure about what he wanted to say. Derek contemplated his words before speaking.

“David, who is he to you?” Stiles wasn’t expecting a question like that. He thought about how to answer Derek, though, admittedly, it’s a simple answer. David is- was, his captain. Not only was he his captain, but he was also a close friend. David was really understanding when he first joined the team back when times were a lot harder on him. The more Stiles thought about it, he realized that David was almost as close of a friend as Scott was. Then it dawned on Stiles why Derek was asking. The way David offered to help with cleaning up, how he was so willing to watch over his house while he was gone, how he just wanted Stiles back in one piece. David cared for him and Derek was jealous.

Against his better nature, Stiles laughed, letting the idea of _Derek Hale_ being jealous of anyone fill him up. Stiles looked up to Derek, noticing the confusion etched all over his face.

“I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry about?”

“I- well, I don’t want this to sound childish or immature- well that’s kind of redundant but the point is I think I know why you’ve been distant the past half an hour.”

“Okay,” he said slowly, dragging out the word as he waited for Stiles to make his point. There was no point avoiding it, so he just said it. 

“You’re jealous.” Derek squinted at him for a few seconds before Stiles watched his shoulders fall as he exhaled deeply.

“I mean, the fact that someone like _you_ could be jealous of anyone, I mean- I’m flattered, Derek, really.” Despite Stiles’ tone, he was completely serious. Derek was the epitome of the perfect boyfriend- attractive, smart, hot, tall, kind, and sexy. The fact that he was jealous made Stiles preen with joy.

“Okay, yes, I am a little jealous,” Derek admitted, his face flushing. “The way David acts around you just sets me on edge.” Stiles closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Derek’s waist. He hooked his thumbs in Derek’s back pocket and looked him right in the eye.

“You have nothing to worry about. Granted, before you came along I had thought on more than one occasion that he was into me and I was going to go for it but-

Derek scowled at Stiles, his eyebrows pinching together, making it look like he had a big, bushy uni-brow. Stiles also noticed how his two front teeth poked out when he got angry and he couldn’t help but picture a disgruntled rabbit.

“Look, that’s all in the past. I’m with you now and though I can’t make any promises, I don’t plan on straying anytime soon.” The rabbit teeth and uni-brow disappeared as he glared at Stiles, the latter laughing as he kissed him. Derek wrapped his arms around Stiles, pulling him in closer, deepening the kiss. Stiles knew Derek wasn’t really angry, just playing along to Stiles’ usual antics. He would be crazy to lose someone like Derek and he made it his personal mission to always be with him, no matter what it took. Stiles hummed as he pulled away, eyes fluttering as they broke apart.

“We should get out there, huh?” He said, a little breathless.

“Yeah,” Derek said softly. The pair finished setting the dishes away in the cabinets and walked out to the deck, Derek’s arm hung lazily over Stiles’ shoulder. It was a simple notion, Derek letting everyone know that Stiles was his, but the act made Stiles love Derek even more.

**

Stiles’ pilgrimage took a little over a year and a half to complete.

He and Derek, along with Scott and Allison (who, to Stiles’ surprise, was talented with a crossbow) traveled Spira and visited every temple. Stiles revisited every temple he was previously at in order to apologize to the Fayth for his absence. The group was welcomed back to Zanarkand as celebrities. Stiles still couldn’t get over the feeling of being so well-known and adored by so many people.

Once the celebrations died down, Stiles returned to the temple as a teacher and mentor to up-and- coming summoners. Stiles also became the coach of the Junior Blitzball team, the Kinder-Abes. Derek had managed to become coach of the Zanarkand Abes once his uncle, Peter, left Zanarkand for unknown reasons. Derek told Stiles that Peter never was one for commitment and once he (Derek) left the team, he felt like he had no other reason to stay. Scott joined Stiles at the temple to train would-be mages and Allison continued to work for her father.

Derek had convinced Stiles to sell his place and move in with Derek a year after they returned to Zanarkand. Stiles sold his place for a lot more than he thought he would and the two of them were living very comfortable lives. A few years ago, Stiles would have scoffed at the idea of settling down and doing exactly what he is now. He never imagined himself as the domestic type until he met Derek- and that’s when everything changed.

**

-Five years later-

“Believe it or not, I struggled with healing magic when I was younger. I didn’t have the patience for it and when I needed it the most, my magic failed me.” Stiles was standing in front of a small group of his students, all of them watching him intently. “Now, you’ve all progressed very well over these past few months, and I commend you. Just remember, magic is more than having the innate ability. Your emotions are everything. So concentration and control are key when you’re under pressure and need to tap in to your power,” he finished thoughtfully, leaning against his desk. In the next moment, a dull bell rang out, signaling the end of their class. The room was suddenly filled with rustling paper and chatter.

“Remember! Your written exams are this Thursday and your practical exams are Friday! Study up! And don’t forget to come out to the celebration tonight! Extra credit for those of you who do!” he said over the noise. Stiles waited until all of his students were out of the room to clean up. As he rummaged through some paperwork, there was a knock at the door. Stiles looked up, smiling widely at the sight of Derek leaning against the door frame.

“Is there anything _I_ can do for extra credit, Mr. Stilinski?” Stiles calmly place his knapsack over his shoulder before walking towards Derek.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hale, but despite your best efforts, even extra credit won’t help you pass.” Stiles tried to move past Derek, trying his best to keep a straight face. Derek blocked the doorway, staring intently into Stiles’ honey-brown eyes, the faintest of smiles creeping up his lips.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do, Mr. Stilinski? I’m willing to do _anything_ ,” Derek whispered in his ear, his breath hot on Stiles’ neck. Stiles felt a shiver run down his spine, settling in his groin. He cleared his throat, staring back into Derek’s eyes.

“What are you doing after the celebration tonight?” Stiles asked slowly, moving close to Derek, their faces centimeters apart. Derek’s hand came up to caress Stiles’ face, the latter closing his eyes as he inhaled. Derek kissed Stiles forcefully, successfully stealing the air from Stiles’ lungs as they parted. Stiles’ heart fluttered gently as he blinked, grateful for Derek’s hand in the middle of his back because not only did Derek take his breath away, he made it impossible for Stiles to stand. Derek kissed Stiles again, a quick kiss, before pulling away.

“Does that answer your question?”

**

The streets of Zanarkand were filled with people as the sun began its descent. Stiles and Derek were among them as they made their way down to the coast, hand in hand. They met up with Scott and Allison, who had already set up a blanket on the sand. They weren’t the only ones who set up on the beach. As Stiles sat down with Derek, a handful of people pointed in their direction and Stiles smiled at them, waving politely to them.

“How was class today, Stiles?” Scott asked as he tossed a grape in his mouth.

“It went well. My kids are progressing quickly. How are yours?”

“They’re doing well. It’s almost time for their exams so they’re a bit anxious.”

“Same for mine. But I have faith in them.”

“Must you talk about work?” Everyone looked up and there stood Lydia, looking positively irritated.

“You okay Lydia?” asked Allison as she pat the space on the blanket next to her, letting her sit down.

“Mother is being unreasonable,” she said sternly, plucking a handful of grapes off the vine, biting into one before continuing. “She’s going away and wants me to look after the shop. I can handle it, obviously-

“Obviously,” interjected Stiles, snickering as he did so. Lydia glared at him, her tangerine curls bouncing around her face.

“Like I was saying, I can handle the store, that’s not the issue, it’s just that I won’t have a social life while she’s gone. So much goes into keeping the store open. We have so many rare items in stock this month and their upkeep is an annoyingly tedious process.” Stiles remembered the last time he was in her shop and she was showing him everything. She was right, of course. Their stock this month was a little more than they usually have in.

“Maybe you could hire an assistant?” suggested Derek, filling the silence.

“Mother says she doesn’t have the money,” she followed, giving him a small smile for the suggestion. Stiles grabbed a cracker from the pile and ate it, thinking over Lydia’s dilemma as he watched the sun tuck itself beneath the horizon.

“I have an idea,” he said suddenly, gaining everyone’s attention. “I have a student in my class who I think would be a perfect assistant for you. Her name is Grace. She is very talented and well above the rest of the class.”

“What part of no money don’t you understand? We can’t all be famous blitzball players slash summoners, you know,” she said sarcastically, making Stiles laugh.

“No, you won’t have to pay her. I think it would be good for her to get some experience with your field. I can speak with Maestor Yoi about it. It could be an apprenticeship program.”

“Now that I think about it, I have a student who would be great as well. Stiles, you remember Micah, don’t you? Like Grace, he’s top of his class. He could benefit from something like this too. That’s a really good idea, actually.”

“Is that the kid who almost blew up temple?” Lydia glared at Scott, who threw his hands up.

“That was purely an accident,” he explained. “He got a little overzealous and mixed up the wrong ingredients. Besides, the temple is fine- just a few scorch marks on the wall,” he waved off, making everyone laugh but Lydia. 

“Hilarious.”

“Oh come on, Lyd, just let us try. We can come and watch over them if you want.” Lydia rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Fine. I’ll need to talk with mother first.” Stiles nodded, smiling brightly at Scott who winked playfully at him. Suddenly, a loud blast broke through the air, signaling the start of the festivities. The sun was peacefully tucked in and the night sky shone above them. Just then, the entire town grew dark- everyone shut their lights out. Stiles curled up close to Derek, who instinctively wrapped his arms around him.

A few seconds later, a single streak of white light rocketed towards the sky, grabbing everyone’s attention. Moments passed before the light exploded into a dazzling display of sound. Another firework shot up to the left of the previous one, lighting the sky in a deep purple hue. From then, the fireworks kept coming, one after the other, filling the night sky with a myriad of colors and sounds. Stiles watched their reflections on the ocean and smiled.

Tonight marked the five year anniversary of Lady Yocun’s triumph over Sin.

Every year since, all of Zanarkand would come out and celebrate her. It was Stiles’ favorite day of the year.

Multiple fireworks exploded at once in the night sky and Stiles knew they were coming close to the end. Derek squeezed Stiles gently from behind, leaning in to his ear.

“You ready?” Stiles nodded, waiting for Derek to kiss him on the back of his neck before he stood. Stiles glanced over to the rest of the group, all of whom were smiling up at him. Stiles removed his shirt, feeling the wind pick up around him, overtaking him momentarily. He walked to the end of the sand, bracing himself for the initial shock of cold as the water rushed over his feet.

It was a tradition he had started the year after Lady Yocun brought The Calm. He was the only summoner the first year, but when others caught word of what he had started, more and more summoners flocked to Zanarkand to join in. Stiles turned his head to the left, watching as a handful of other summoners joined him. Then, he turned to the right, where, again, he saw more summoners joining them. He turned his attention towards the sky, watching the stars twinkle brightly.

Being that this is Stiles’ tradition, the other summoners waited for him to initiate the ritual. Stiles inhaled deeply, closing his eyes briefly before he walked out into the ocean. Stiles walked out about one hundred yards before he turned back towards Zanarkand. The fireworks were still going on over his head, the intensity resonating off of the cliff of Mt. Gagazet. Stiles felt the push and pull of the ocean beneath his feet. He channeled that energy before he started to dance.

The fireworks were over as Stiles and the other summoners began their ritual. Stiles rose into the air as he danced, feeling the power of the Fayth overtake him. Suddenly, countless pyre flies rose from the ocean, circling around the summoners. Stiles continued to rise above the ocean, higher than all the rest. He felt Lady Yocun’s presence as the ritual came to its peak. Stiles let Lady Yocun’s energy overtake him, feeling the power she possessed to destroy Sin. The first time this happened, Stiles was overwhelmed but he was used to it now, he embraced it.

As quickly as the energy flowed through him, it was gone.

Stiles began his descent, giving a brief prayer to those who sacrificed their lives on that fateful day. He walked back to the beach where Derek was waiting, arms stretched out to him. Stiles welcomed his embrace, reveling in Derek’s warmth.

“Did I ever tell you how beautiful you look when you do that?” Derek asked softly, as if it were a secret he would take to the grave. Stiles answered him with a kiss, giving Derek everything in that moment. Stiles turned around just in time to see five more fireworks streaming towards the sky, one for each year since The Calm began. The five explosions echoed through the city and once the last firework faded from the sky, everyone cheered.

**

Once back inside his and Derek’s place, Stiles practically pounced on Derek.

Derek laughed as he wrapped his arms around Stiles, lifting him off the floor. Stiles hummed as he kissed Derek hard on the mouth, moaning greedily as Derek cupped his ass. Derek carried Stiles to the bedroom where he unceremoniously tossed him on the bed. Stiles threw his head back and laughed as he undressed himself. Derek undressed just as quickly and the pair of them were naked in seconds.

Derek crawled up to Stiles, capturing his lips once again, their bodies sliding together perfectly. Stiles matched Derek’s enthusiasm as he rocked into him, their hardening cocks rubbing against each other. Derek pulled away and kissed Stiles’ neck in earnest, nipping at the tender skin there, sliding his tongue over the small bruise that formed. Derek mouthed over Stiles’ jaw, kissing Stiles briefly before sinking lower, slipping Stiles’ nipple in his mouth, making the other man groan.

“Fuck, Derek, don’t stop.” Derek caught Stiles’ gaze as he licked over his other nipple, sliding his tongue over Stiles abdomen. Derek gripped Stiles’ cock in his hand, slowly jerking him as he gently bit the insides of his thighs, making Stiles shudder above him. Derek licked up the underside of Stiles’ cock, reveling in the taste of him as he took him into his mouth. Stiles melted into their bed, a litany of noises escaping him as Derek worked him over.

Stiles ran his hands through Derek’s hair, latching on as he felt Derek’s nose rub against the small patch of hair above his dick.

“Damn, Derek, your mouth feels so good on my cock,” he praised, pulling Derek’s hair, making him grunt. Derek pulled off of Stiles’ cock with on obscene _pop_ and moved back up to kiss Stiles, giving him a taste of himself. Stiles moaned into Derek’s mouth, hands still fisted in his hair. He pulled Derek back by his hair, getting Derek to growl at him.

“You like that don’t you? Me pulling your hair?”

“Yes,” Derek responded immediately, his voice deep and raspy. Stiles gave another tug of Derek’s dark hair before pushing him back down towards his cock. Derek pushed Stiles’ legs in the air, the latter settling them on Derek’s shoulders. Derek took Stiles into his mouth again, swirling his tongue around the head, tasting the pre cum that started to spill out. Derek moved a hand up Stiles’ body, twisting a nipple before Stiles grabbed his hand. He sucked on Derek’s fingers, matching the pace and movement Derek made on his cock. Derek hummed around Stiles’ cock, savoring every last second.

“I want you to you eat my ass, Derek, until I beg for your cock,” Stiles said as Derek’s fingers fell from his mouth. Derek took Stiles all the way into his mouth again, swirling his tongue as he did so, making Stiles yell out. Stiles was so close but he didn’t want to come yet- it was too soon. Stiles grabbed a fistful of Derek’s hair and tugged, hard. Derek really growled at him this time, Stiles watching as a line of spit connected Derek’s mouth and his cock. Derek wiped away the drool as he climbed back up to meet Stiles.

Derek pulled Stiles in for a kiss, tongues dancing between them as he slid his hand down Stiles’ back. Derek rubbed his finger over Stiles’ hole, swallowing down his moan. Stiles dug his nails into Derek’s back as Derek pushed his finger in further. Stiles pulled away, his head falling back, giving Derek the perfect opportunity to nip at his neck. Derek sank his teeth into Stiles’ skin at the same time he fucked Stiles with his finger.

“Derek, fuck- I want to feel your tongue inside me- please,” Stiles’ voice cracked as Derek twisted his finger inside. Derek licked over the marks on Stiles’ neck as he removed his finger. He laid down on his back, pulling Stiles’ leg over his chest so he was mounting him. Stiles lowered himself over Derek’s face and the instant he felt Derek’s tongue on his hole, his body melted.

Derek had an extremely talented tongue and Stiles was reaping the rewards. Stiles lost himself for a few moments, letting the feeling of Derek’s tongue inside him overtake him. Stiles gripped Derek’s cock in his hand, reveling the feel of it before slowly jacking him off. Derek hummed around Stiles’ hole.

Stiles leaned over Derek’s body, taking him into his mouth slowly. Derek sat up a little bit for a better angle while Stiles continued to bob his head up and down on Derek’s cock. He swirled his tongue around his head, tasting Derek on his lips as he pulled off. He licked up Derek’s shaft, using two fingers to pull apart the slit at the head of Derek’s cock. He pushed his tongue in, tasting Derek again, making the other man groan.

“You like that, Derek? Does my mouth feel good around your cock?” Derek answered by pressing a finger inside Stiles’ ass alongside his tongue. Stiles moaned in earnest as he wrapped his mouth around Derek, taking in just the head of his dick. His tongue worked over the head while he jacked Derek off. Stiles felt Derek’s tongue leave, only to be replaced by another finger. He moaned over Derek’s cock, loving the feeling of two fingers inside him. His body was quivering at the touch and Stiles felt like he could explode.

“Your ass is so tight, Stiles. I can’t wait to open you up and fuck you,” Derek said roughly, making Stiles’ dick twitch. Stiles heard Derek spit, moments later a hand was on his cock and Stiles moved off of Derek’s cock, throwing his back, moaning towards the ceiling. He was getting close, and Derek wasn’t showing any signs of stopping. Stiles rode Derek’s fingers, pushing into him as Derek pushed back.

“Fuck, Derek, I’m gonna come.” Derek’s pace quickened over Stiles’ cock.

“Come for me, Stiles,” came Derek’s voice as he slid in a third finger, sending Stiles into the abyss. Stiles yelled out Derek’s name as he spilled over his chest. Derek pulled his fingers out of Stiles and wiped his hand on the sheets. He let Stiles ride out his high before he moved to reposition himself.

“Lie on your back,” Derek instructed, as he opened the drawer next to their bed and pulled out a bottle of oil. “I want to see your face when I fuck you.” Stiles pulled Derek in, kissing him gently, their tongues dancing idly between them. Derek pulled away first, grabbing a pillow to set under Stiles’ back. Derek looked at Stiles, naked and willing below him and his heart dropped. Stiles was beautiful, more than he knew.

Derek settled again between Stiles’ legs, pulling his cheeks apart his pushed his tongue inside. Stiles let his head fall back as he sighed. Derek didn’t want to take too long, he knew that Stiles would start to beg and he wanted nothing more than to give Stiles what he wanted. Derek uncapped the bottle of oil and spread a generous amount over Stiles’ hole, pushing a single digit in, his dick twitching at how easily it slid in. Derek caught Stiles’ gaze, reveled in those honey-brown drops of heaven as he pushed another finger in. Stiles’ mouth fell open slightly, his tongue darting out to lick up the sheen of sweat gathering on his upper lip.

“Fuck, Stiles, you’re beautiful. So open, so willing to let me fuck you. Tell me how much you want it. How much you want my cock inside you.” Derek slid a third finger inside, making Stiles’ eyes flutter, his chest seize as his body became acclimated with the pressure. Derek gave him time to adapt before he started twisting his fingers, spreading them apart, Stiles’ warmth surrounding him. Stiles lifted his head, his eyes heavy as he spoke.

“Derek, _please_ , I want, mhmm, fuck, I _need_ you inside me,” Stiles pleaded, unable to stifle the noises that consumed him, forcing their way out of his mouth. Derek removed his fingers, making Stiles whimper. He slicked his cock with oil, lining himself up with Stiles’ hole. The two kept each other’s gaze as Derek moved his hips forward, pushing into Stiles. Neither one could hold their gaze for long. Stiles threw his head back, moaning loudly at the pressure as Derek filled him up. Derek grunted lowly as he felt Stiles’ tight warmth envelop his cock.

This wasn’t their first time, far from it, but no matter what, every time with Stiles feels like the first time. His body opens so easily for Derek and that makes his heart soar. Derek pushes all the way in, Stiles can feel Derek’s small patch of hair against his ass. Derek kisses up and down Stiles’ legs, rubbing them gently as Stiles tells him to move. Derek pulls out of Stiles slowly, so fucking slowly Stiles can’t think and when he pushes back in, Stiles swears he blacks out for a second.

In no time at all, Derek sets a pace and Stiles is in heaven.

Derek is big. Something Stiles is well aware of at this point. Stiles has a nice cock too, but where Derek lacks Stiles’ length, he makes up for in girth. The way Derek grinds and twists his hips in Stiles while fucking him drives him crazy. Stiles swears that Derek was made to fuck and each time they do only reiterates his theory. Stiles can feel himself start to get hard again as Derek fucks into him and all he can do is lay there and take it.

Every now and then, Derek would slow down, pushing all the way in before pulling out again, only to slam his cock all the way in again. Stiles loved it. He loved everything about Derek. He could feel Derek getting closer and closer to that sweet spot that made Stiles’ head spin. Stiles reached down and started jacking himself off, trying to match Derek’s rhythm. Derek grabbed the oil and spilled some over Stiles’ cock, making the friction that much sweeter.

Derek leaned over Stiles’ body, seizing his mouth in a passionate, sloppy kiss. Stiles felt himself teetering on the edge for the second time that night.

“Derek, you feel so good, so fucking big,” he praised, voice ragged and high-pitched as Derek’s cock rubbed over his prostate again and again. Derek leaves a trail of hot, wet kisses down Stiles torso. He grips on to Stiles’ legs and lifts him off the bed slightly before he starts to pound into Stiles. The sounds they make are incoherent nonsense. The room is filled with the sound of skin hitting skin. Stiles could feel his balls tighten, his entire body tensing as Derek fucked his orgasm out of him. Stiles yelled out as he spilled over his chest. Derek pulled out suddenly, making Stiles moan at the loss before he came over Stiles chest, their cum making a mess of Stiles’ chest.

Derek collapsed next to him, the pair catching their breath.

“That one is for the record books,” Stiles joked as he wiped himself clean with a nearby cloth. Derek laughed next to him, sliding in close as they settled in for the night.

“Definitely in the top ten,” Derek added as he left light kisses on Stiles’ neck.

“Mmm, absolutely. Do you remember that one time, when we were in Luca?” Derek rested his head on his elbow so he could see Stiles’ face.

“The time with the guy? What was his name?”

“Jackson.”

“Right. That was a fun night.”

“That is was.” Stiles turned himself over, wincing a little at the residual pain. He pulled Derek in close, resting his leg over the other man’s as they watched each other in silence. Stiles gazed into Derek’s eyes, the deep emerald and sharp sapphire orbs mesmerizing. Stiles felt his eyes grow heavy. Sleep was definitely going to come soon.

“I love you,” he said to Derek, who smiled brightly back at him.

“I love you, too.”

**

The Calm- the time after Sin is defeated up until Sin re-emerges. The Calm last 10 years. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there are any tags I missed, let me know! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to leave kudos/comments!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so- I know I said this would only be eleven chapters but I got to writing again and I need to make it longer. *le sigh* Here is a little something to tide you guys over. 
> 
> It is finals week this week so I will most likely not post anything new until at least this weekend, hopefully. 
> 
> I thank each and every one of you for your patience!

_Five y_ _ears later._

“Remember, we won’t be having class this Friday on account of the town’s celebrations. It’s the tenth anniversary of Lady Yocun’s triumph over Sin.” One of Stiles’ students raised their hand as he wrote next week’s assignment on the board.

“Yes, Ms. Margo?”

“Lord Stiles, is it true that Sin might be coming back soon?” Stiles clapped his hands, wiping the dust off before he sat on the edge of his desk.

“There’s a chance it may not come back,” he said calmly.

“Sin comes back because we don’t atone for our transgressions, right?” asked Marissa.

“What does that even mean, Marissa?” another student, Mikaela, asked.

“Our ancestors went against the teachings of Yevon and we have to pay for it.”

“That’s all good and well, Sebastian, but how do we atone for something we didn’t do?”

“We- I, uh…”

“Why do we have to continuously sacrifice people for the mistakes of our ancestors?”

“Yeah, we send so many summoners to their death because of something from the past, I-“

The room got quiet suddenly, everyone looking at Stiles. Abagael, who had made the comment about summoners, realized what she said and apologized.

“I’m sorry, I-“

“You don’t have to apologize for anything, Abby. Listen, I don’t know if Sin is coming back, and even if it does, I- _every_ summoner, that is, made an oath to protect Spira at any cost. All of you are training to become members of the temple, followers of the Fayth- some of you may even become summoners. What I’m trying to say is that there’s no need to feel sorry for me, or any summoner for that matter. Nor should you blame anyone for what has to be done. The world is as it is because of something out of our control. Once you realize that Sin being a part of this world is no different than us living and breathing, you can live a somewhat wholesome life.”

“But, Lord Stiles, you’ll die.” Stiles smiled at his students.

“If that’s what has to happen, I’m ready to do that in order to make sure all of you can live your lives. I have lived my life and am comfortable where my life is. If Sin should come back, it is out of the question whether or not I will do what I must to defeat it once again.” The room was silent for a while as Stiles’ words sunk in.

It was true- Stiles was ready to face Sin. He had spent years preparing himself, reconciling his past mistakes with the Fayth. Even though he would no longer be living, he knew that sacrificing himself was the only thing he could do to protect the people of Spira.

“I thank you all for your concerns,” Stiles said, breaking the tension. “As the week progresses, keep from your mind any negative thoughts. Friday’s celebrations will be exquisitely entertaining, and I hope to see you all there. Right, so, even though you don’t have class on Friday, you will have an exam on Monday. I’ll see you all tomorrow. You’re dismissed.”

As Stiles cleaned up his classroom, one of the maestors came through his door.

“Ah, Lord Stiles, I’m glad I caught you.”

“Maester Danko, how are you?”

“I’m well, thank you. I just wanted to let you know that we’ve received word from Bevelle regarding tomorrow’s celebrations. Maester Mika will be in attendance and would like to meet you.”

Maester Mika was the most recently appointed Grand Maestor of Yevon; he’s the most influential man in Spira.

“I appreciate the notice, Lord Danko; I look forward to meeting him.”

**

 Stiles made plans to meet Derek at the little park where they had their first get-together (it wasn’t a date, really) ten years ago. Derek had bought them food at one of the street stands and set up a blanket on the grass. He greeted Stiles with a kiss as he sat down.

“How was school?”

“My students are worried about Sin coming back,” Stiles said lightly as he tossed a grape in his mouth before lying on his back, resting his head in his hands.

“That’s sweet of them to worry.”

“I suppose it is,” he said slowly as he stared at the clouds in the sky. Derek, of course, noticed Stiles’ change in demeanor.

“What is it, Stiles?” Stiles inhaled deeply through his nose, closing his eyes for a few seconds before exhaling out through his mouth. He turned to Derek then, resting his head on his elbow.

“I’ve spent the last ten years preparing for this and I’ve come to terms with what I have to do, I have-” he started before sitting up, the pain in his arm too irritating to ignore. He rubbed his arm gently. “I know that if Sin comes back, I will be the one who stops it. There are other summoners who could do it, but I feel as though this is my job- only mine. So, when my students started talking about it, I couldn’t stop thinking about my life up to this point. I’ve done so much, met so many people, fell in love with the most gorgeous man in all of Spira, and now, in a matter of days, it will all be over. And your sisters, how can I face them about-

“Stiles, you’re rambling again,” Derek said softly, his blue-green eye’s sparkling like the ocean. Stiles stared into his exotic eyes for a few seconds, feeling the tension leave his body as if Derek had the ability to absorb bad energy and pain. “My sisters already know what is going to happen. I made up with Laura five years ago and she- both of them have come to terms with it. So don’t worry about me- I will follow you anywhere- you know that.”

“I don’t understand how you exist and how I was able to find you and somehow convince you that I’m not crazy and that I’m someone who can love and be loved in return, I mean, did I deserve you? After the life I lived- I feel like-

“Stiles-

“I know,” Stiles said quickly, struggling for breath as he shook the nerves out of his body.

“Come here,” Derek said, motioning with his arms for Stiles to join him on his side of the blanket. Stiles leaned back against Derek, the latter wrapping his arms around Stiles in an effort to console him.

“I love you. We will always be together- no matter what happens.” Derek kissed the back of Stiles’ head, squeezing him tight as they sat in silence.

**

_Thursday night_

Stiles had felt an indescribable feeling that night when he and Derek settled into bed. Something tangible, something heavy and dense hung over their bed and he struggled to fall asleep. Derek had sensed something too, but was asleep before Stiles. Finally, after constantly shuffling and moving around in bed, Stiles had fallen asleep.

The moment he entered the dream, Stiles’ heart sank.

He found himself, again, on the shores of Besaid, where the Fayth waited for him patiently by the water. Stiles approached the Fayth, choosing to sit next to the boy instead of in front of him. Stiles mirrored the Fayth and stared off towards the horizon, feeling the gentle breeze of the ocean winds, smelling the salty water, listening to the all too real sound of a seagull flying overhead.

“Is dying painful?”

“I don’t know.”

“Will I remember anything?”

“At first.”

“Will I forget Derek?”

“It is possible.”

“What about my parents? Scott? Lydia?”

“Again, it is possible.”

“Is it almost time, then? Sin will be reborn?”

“Yes. She will be waiting for you.”

“Right.” Stiles didn’t want to get up right away- he wanted to savor the last few moments he had on the most peaceful place he’d ever visited. He thought it ironic that inside his head was peaceful when all he could think about was his impending death.

“Perhaps you will be the light to wake us up from our dreaming,” the Fayth said suddenly, sounding hopeful, desperate even- causing Stiles to turn his gaze towards it.

“What was that?”

“We have been dreaming for so long.”

“Dreaming?”

“Yes. We would very much like to wake up. We hope that you are strong enough to rid the world of Sin and thus, end our dreaming as well.”

“I don’t understand.” The Fayth stood up from its spot and began walking towards the water. It stopped at the shoreline, turning back to Stiles.

“We will tell you, when you pray to us one final time. Until then, my lord.” Stiles watched as the Fayth disappeared in the sun. He mulled over what the Fayth had told him until he felt the pull of consciousness tugging him from his dream. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to leave his dream.

**

Stiles woke feeling oddly at peace.

The sun was barely peeking through the blinds as Stiles slowly slid from under the covers and went to the bathroom. Stiles looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was sticking up in every which way and his eyes were slightly bloodshot. He turned the faucet on, splashing some water in his face, shocking his body awake. He moved his hand through his hair, fingers catching on a few knots. This is the first time Stiles had let his hair grow out this long. He misses his old hair, when he used to keep it short for blitzball games. He thought about shaving it again when sudden itch at the back of his head made him scratch.

“Stiles, are you okay?” Stiles walked back into the bedroom and knelt down beside Derek who turned himself over to face him.

“Yeah, just had to pee.”

“You coming back to bed?” Derek asked, voice thick with drowsiness.

“I think I’m gonna go for a run, clear my head. Do you want me to grab some breakfast on the way back?”

“From Isaac’s? We haven’t eaten there in a while,” Derek half whispered half yawned. Stiles smiled at him, kissing him softly on the lips.

“See you in a bit.” Stiles made his way out of the house, slipping into his shoes and grabbing some money at the door. He stretched a bit out front of the house, smiling at passersby who greeted him. He set a mild pace and ran around the city with no set path in mind. The people of Zanarkand have been preparing for the tenth anniversary celebration for weeks now and the city looked even more glamorous than ever before. When Stiles felt the heat of the sun on his neck, he decided to make his way to Isaac’s.

There was a small line inside the store as Stiles entered, giving him some time to figure out exactly what he wanted to order. The people in front of him moved up quickly and Stiles now stood at the counter where an attractive, curly-haired blonde (Isaac) stood waiting to take his order.

“Ah, Stiles, it’s nice to see you! How are you?”

“I am doing well, thank you- and yourself?”

“Can’t complain. Have you decided what you’d like to order?”

“Two of the specials with a side of hash and two cranberry juices, please.” Stiles paid Isaac for the food, thanking him when handed the change. It didn’t take long for the food to cook and within ten minutes Stiles was out the door and headed back to his and Derek’s place.

Once inside, Stiles kicked his shoes off by the door and set the food down in the kitchen. He started to strip as he walked up to the bedroom, smiling when he heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. Stiles joined Derek in the bathroom, announcing his return by sliding in the shower next to him.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” he greeted, giving Derek a swift peck on the lips.

“How was your run?” Derek let Stiles under the water, the temperature just right as he let it slide down his body.

“It was good.” The two took turns washing each other, Derek taking a little extra time while he gave Stiles a massage. Stiles closed his eyes and let himself melt into the feel of Derek’s hands on his shoulders. Before long, Derek’s hands began gravitating south.

“Derek, we don’t have a lot of time,” Stiles said softly, feeling Derek against his leg.

“I won’t take long,” Derek nearly growled in his ear as he spread Stiles’ cheeks apart, sliding his fingers over his hole. Stiles put his hands on the opposite wall, letting his head fall under the spray of water as Derek grabbed the bottle of conditioner. He wasted no time as he slid two fingers into Stiles ass, making him shudder. Derek twisted and scissored his fingers inside Stiles while jacking himself. Once Derek had a third finger inside Stiles, he was ready. Derek lined himself up and pushed all the way inside, biting down on Stiles shoulder, emitting a low growl as Stiles moaned.

Stiles’ breath caught in his throat as Derek pulled out slowly, pummeling back into him a moment later. Derek set the pace early, his hands in a death grip around Stiles’ waist. Stiles did his best to stay on his feet as he pushed back into Derek’s thrusts. With every thrust Derek hit Stiles’ prostate, pushing him closer and closer to oblivion. Before long, Stiles noticed Derek’s pace quickening, his thrusts becoming more sporadic and uncoordinated. Stiles could feel the burn of his orgasm building in his groin, spreading out in his body, settling in his toes. Derek continued fucking into Stiles until both of them fell apart. Stiles came untouched as Derek pushed into him- hard, coming inside of him.

“Fuck, Derek, fuck!” Derek wrapped his arms around Stiles as the latter’s hands slipped off the wall.

“I got ya.” The two collapsed to the floor of the shower. Stiles whimpered as Derek pulled out of him, wrapping his arms around him, kissing up and down his arms and neck.

“I’ll never tire of you fucking me, Derek. Mark my words.”

“Mmm, anytime, anywhere, babe.” The pair shared a few moments of silence as they let the water cascade over them before standing up. They washed themselves again and Stiles turned the water off before turning to Derek. He danced his fingers over Derek’s torso, loving the feel of his chest hair under his touch.

“I have something that I want you to wear today,” he said softly, a devilish grin twisting his lips.

“Oh?” Stiles nodded, motioning for Derek to follow him. Neither of them bothered wearing a towel, the sun had now rose higher in the sky, its warm rays filling their room. Stiles walked over to their closet and began rummaging through it, tossing a few shirts and a pair of pants out onto the floor in his haste to find what he was looking for.

“Ah, there it is.” Stiles pulled out a small, black box. Derek looked intrigued as Stiles set the box on the bed. “I had this specially made,” Stiles said in a sing-song voice as he opened the box. Stiles pulled a slick black, smooth plug from the box. There was a cock ring attached to it at the base of the plug. Derek eyed it, Stiles unable to read his expression.

“You want me to wear this all day?”

“Yes.”

“In public?”

“No one will know except us. Just think of how amazing tonight will be,” he said all sultry and oh-so-seductively while wiggling the dildo in front of Derek’s face. Stiles resorted to his puppy dog eyes when Derek hadn’t said anything.

“The things I do for you,” he said finally, voice low as she shook his head.

“You know you secretly love the idea,” Stiles retorted, practically jumping for joy as he went in search for some lube. “The trick will be to get the plug in without you getting too excited and then slip the ring on. Alright, assume the position,” Stiles said playfully when he found the lube. Derek made his way over to the bed, lying on his back, waiting for Stiles to join him.

Stiles was getting hard again as he thought about what was going to happen. Derek rarely lets Stiles fuck him. He was never upset at him for it- he knows that some people just can’t get into bottoming but every now and then Derek lets him. Stiles feels a little guilty making asking Derek to do something he doesn’t enjoy but Derek always tells him that if it makes Stiles happy, then there was no question as to whether or not he wanted to do it.

The nights when he would spend almost an hour breaking Derek, finding every spot that made him fall apart, only to put him back together again were the most vivid memories Stiles has of the two of them.

As Stiles brought himself back to the present, he saw that, despite Derek’s initial disapproval, he was starting to get hard again. They both seemed to have bounced back from their shower shenanigans pretty quickly.

“So much for you not getting a boner,” he said, smiling as he set the dildo and lube down next to Derek. He lowered himself on top of Derek, their naked bodies sliding perfectly together as Stiles kissed him. Stiles laced their fingers together, pushing their hands above Derek’s head, rutting shamelessly into him. Derek let out a low moan as Stiles sucked on his earlobe, trailing his tongue down Derek’s neck, biting down gently on one of his nipples.

“Don’t stop Stiles, fuck.”

“Keep your hands above your head, Der,” Stiles ordered as he lifted Derek’s legs in the air. Stiles nipped at the inside of Derek’s thighs, enjoying the shudder that ran through Derek’s body. Derek hummed above him as Stiles slid his tongue over his hole, fingernails digging into his skin greedily. This was something Stiles didn’t enjoy all that much- eating Derek out. Derek, on the other hand, loved to do it to Stiles. Stiles didn’t go for too long before he reached for the lube next to him. He tipped the bottle in his hand, rubbing the liquid between his fingers to warm it up before sliding them against Derek’s entrance. He slid a finger in, feeling Derek’s body tense up almost immediately.

“I know, baby. I’ll take care of you, just relax,” Stiles said softly, kissing the inside of Derek’s thighs as he slowly inserted another finger. Derek let out a low moan as Stiles twisted his fingers inside him, getting him ready for the plug. Stiles reached over for it, removing his fingers to rub lube over it. He leaned over Derek, kissing him firmly on the lips, their tongues sliding together. Stiles pulled away, resting his forehead on Derek’s.

“You ready?” Derek nodded, his gaze never leaving Stiles’ as the latter pushed the plug against his hole. Derek opened so easily for Stiles and Stiles’ heart fluttered. Stiles seized Derek’s lips with his own, swallowing down his moan. He reached for the lube, sliding a generous amount on Derek’s cock. As Stiles pushed the plug all the way in, he lowered himself onto Derek. Their collective moans filled the room as Stiles fucked himself on Derek’s cock. Derek grabbed the lube and slicked Stiles’ cock, jerking him off in earnest. Neither of them lasted long as Stiles moved on top of Derek, gyrating his hips in just the right way. Stiles leaned over Derek and kissed him as he felt Derek release inside him, moments later Stiles coming all over Derek’s chest.

“Okay, mark this morning as they best day ever,” Stiles laughed as he rose off of Derek, reaching for a towel to wipe himself and Derek off.

“Mmm,” was Derek’s response as he fidgeted a little in bed.

“Alright, let’s get that ring around you before your dick decides to wake up again.” The plug must have moved a little while they were fucking- Derek was sitting on it. Stiles twisted the plug, making Derek moan. He positioned the ring around Derek’s cock, leaning back a little to admire it. Derek sat up then, his eyes fluttering lightly as the plug moved inside him. Stiles smiled before kissing him chastely.

“We need to shower- again- and get going. I’m meeting the Grand Maestor today and he’s not the kind of man you keep waiting,” Stiles said matter-of-factly as he led Derek back into the bathroom. The two showered for the second time that morning and dressed quickly. Surprisingly, their breakfast was still warm. After gorging themselves on the best breakfast food in Zanarkand, Stiles and Derek made their way to meet up with Scott and Allison.

**


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Thank you for being a part of my story."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is. I know that a handful of you have been waiting for this for a long time and I apologize it took me so long to finish. I've been having a very hard time coping with some personal things that have happened in my life and am just now starting to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. 
> 
> I think that I am most proud of finishing this because FFX and Sterek have a special place in my heart and I will always come back to this piece as something that makes me feel good. 
> 
> So, I hope you guys enjoyed this ride as much as I've enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> If there are mistakes, they are mine and mine alone.

“Scott! Stiles and Derek are here!” Allison yelled through the house, her daughter, Emma, on her arm as she prepared breakfast. “Have you two eaten yet?”

“We have. Thank you, though,” Derek responded, eyes glued to Emma. Stiles’ heart fluttered as he watched Derek practically gush over the infant. Stiles loves kids, he really does, but with his lifestyle, he knew that having a kid would bring him more heartbreak than he could handle. Leaving a child parentless is the worst thing someone could do, in his opinion. Derek felt the same, though he made it his mission to spoil all of his nieces and nephews.

Just then, Scott came down from upstairs, his nephew Sebastian in tow.

“Uncle Stiles!” Sebastian yelled as he charged at him. Stiles caught Sebastian and picked him up.

“Geez, kid, when did you get so big?”

“You’re just weak, Uncle Stiles,” he said while laughing.

“Have you guys had breakfast yet? There’s plenty to go around,” Scott asked as he relieved Emma from Allison’ arms and sat at the island. Stiles looked at Sebastian.

“What do you think? Should we stay to eat?”

“Yes,” Sebastian responded, nodding his head enthusiastically.

“It’s decided then,” Stiles said, smiling.

Everyone gathered around the table, Sebastian _insisting_ on Stiles sitting next to him and Derek offering to take Emma so that Scott could eat. Stiles helped Sebastian cut up his pancakes and sausage then smothered them in syrup.

Derek kept fidgeting in his seat, making these pained little noises which made Stiles smile. He had to keep his composure because just the thought of what’s making Derek twitch was starting to make him hard. Scott noticed Derek’s awkward behavior and glanced at Stiles, left eyebrow raised in question. Stiles waved him off, turning his attention to Allison.

“Allison, how is your father’s business doing?” Stiles asked in an attempt to divert the attention away from Derek.

“It’s going well. Obviously, business this week has been great. How are your students?”

“They are progressing well. Their exams are approaching so they’re a bit on edge.” Stiles bit into a piece of bacon as he watched Derek help Emma eat her food. Stiles continued his polite conversation with Allison, Scott and Derek interjecting here and there until the topic of their conversation turned serious.

“So, what brings you two here? It’s not that I don’t enjoy the company, but I know you have a busy day today, Stiles. Meeting the Grand Maestor is no joke- especially since he asked for you personally.” Stiles glanced at Derek, who was looking right at him, gaze undeterred as Emma grabbed at his face. Stiles turned to Scott and Allison, trying not to look too somber.

“It’s Sin,” Stiles said lightly, which successfully made the room go quiet. As if on cue, Emma started crying and Derek handed her over to Allison who paced around the room, rocking her up and down in her arms. Scott looked to Allison, worry etched over the latter’s face.

“When?” Scott asked.

“Tomorrow.”

“Uncle Stiles? What’s wrong?” Sebastian asked next to him, looking worried. Stiles turned to him, smiling warmly.

“Everything’s okay, bud. Uncle Stiles just has to go away for a little bit, that’s all.” Stiles hated lying to him but how do you explain to a child that in a matter of days you’re going to be-

“I’m coming with,” Scott spoke up suddenly, causing Stiles and Derek to glance over to him.

“Scott, I can’t ask you-

“You didn’t, and I’m not asking. Allison and I have already talked about this,” he said, Allison standing behind him as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Scott instinctively grabbed it.

“You two started this together, Stiles, back on Besaid. Now you’ll get to finish it together. Just promise me that he’ll come back to us.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes, bug?”

“You’re going to go away? With Uncle Stiles?” Scott stood up from his chair and crouched down next to Sebastian. Stiles went around and pulled Allison in for a hug, promising her he’d make sure Scott would come back to them.

“There is no need to worry, bug, okay? Daddy will only be gone for a little while. While I’m gone, I want you to look after your mother and sister. You’ll be the man of the house- do you think you can handle it?” Sebastian looked between Scott and Allison before nodding.

“Yes.”

“Alright, let’s finish up breakfast, we have some celebrating to do today!” Scott said emphatically in an attempt to shift the current mood in the room. Stiles embraced Scott as he stood, whispering a brief “thank you” in his ear.

**

The group made their way into the heart of the city. Stiles expected a lot of people to show up today, especially due to the fact that the Grand Maestor of Yevon would be in attendance. He just wasn’t expecting _this_ many people. People recognized him as they walked through the streets and greeted him kindly, some bowing their heads as he passed. He kept a close eye on Derek while they weaved their way through the sea of people. Derek despised large groups of people. Stiles linked their fingers together, squeezing his hand in reassurance as they walked around.

Vendors lined the streets selling everything from food to enormous stuffed animals. There were a few dogs, cats, and a handful that resembled aeons at a cart they stopped at because Sebastian was very adamant about getting one. Stiles and Derek both promised Sebastian that on their way back home they would buy him an animal, to which his response was-

“But they’ll all be gone by tonight!” he whined before stomping the ground with his foot for emphasis. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the ground, a permanent scowl to rival Derek’s etched on his face.

“If you get one now, you’ll have to carry it around all day by yourself. You won’t be able to put it down,” Stiles tried explaining as he knelt down in front of him.  

“That’s okay, I can carry it! _Please_?” Stiles looked to Scott, who shrugged his shoulders. Nice, Scott.

“Alright, which one do you want?” Sebastian literally jumped for joy as he walked around the cart, eying all of the overstuffed animals before pointing to one in the center of the display.

“Nice eye, kid,” the vendor said as he pulled a stuffed **Ifrit** down for him, handing it over. Stiles paid for the toy and bought two balloons, one of which he tied around Emma’s wrist. She was instantly fascinated with the feeling of the string on her skin. The balloon caught her attention now and she threw her head back, eyes wide with wonderment. He wrapped the other balloon around Sebastian’s wrist. He ran his hand over the balloon, casting a simple spell on it to make the colors change every few seconds.

“This is so we don’t lose you. Now, where to first?”

“Lord Stilinski, there you are.” Stiles turned around, smiling brightly when he saw-

“Lady Michaela, what a pleasant surprise, how are you?”

“I am well, my lord. Are you enjoying the celebrations?”

“We haven’t had the chance to delve into the festivities yet. We were just about to decide where to go. Has the Maestor arrived yet?”

“He should be arriving by mid-day. Will you be there to greet him?”

“Of course. It would be an honor. So, I suppose I will see you at the docks later on then?”

“Yes. Enjoy your time, all of you,” Lady Michaela said brightly, bowing to their group before she left. Stiles lifted Sebastian above his head, grabbing onto his legs.

“Let’s see what kind of games they have set up this year, shall we?”

**

Stiles took Sebastian to as many games as they could fit in before he had to leave to greet the Maestor of Yevon. They had stopped by a face painting booth and although Sebastian was extremely persistent about him and Stiles getting matching tattoos, Stiles thought it best to keep his face clean. So, Scott was brave enough to make the sacrifice and got his face painted like Ifrit, matching both Sebastian and his stuffed doll. Once they finished at the face painting booth, Stiles led them all to get food at Isaac’s before he and Derek bid them farewell until the fireworks show later that night.

Stiles and Derek made their way to the docks down by the water. A large group of people had already gathered, no doubt waiting for the Maestor to arrive. They all bowed to Stiles as he passed, Stiles smiling warmly at them all.

“The Maestor sure is popular around here,” Derek said lightly as they found their way to where the Maestor’s ship would dock. Stiles continued to smile at those working around them as they all whispered among themselves.

“As he is everywhere,” Stiles interjected. “The Maestor is the voice of the people of Spira. His wisdom guides all of us.”

“You really believe that one man can guide an entire nation?”

“Some days, yes. The world is an immense, often dangerous place, and it’s nice to put your faith in someone- to know that you’re not alone.”

“And the other days?”

“Well, those days are a bit blurry. Me plus a few drinks is not a pretty picture, especially when I start talking about Yevon.”

“Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen you drunk. I would love to see drunk Stiles.”

“Did you not hear about my drunken escapades through Luca about twelve years ago? I don’t think you’d like drunk me- I can get nasty with a little whisky in me.”

“Hmm, you get nasty I get handsy- we’d make a good match, I think.”

“Maybe we should get something on our way home and make tonight even more interesting. How is the, uh, _thing_ , by the way?” he asked quietly, wiggling his eyebrows lewdly.

“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”

“Does it feel good?”

“I honestly forgot about it until you brought it up,” Derek shrugged as he stared off towards the horizon. Stiles wrapped his arm around Derek’s waist. He leaned into Derek and whispered in his ear.

“You know how much this means to me, right? I can’t wait to get you home tonight and-

“There’s the Maestor’s ship!” someone from behind yelled, interrupting Stiles.

“Well, I guess you’ll have to wait and see,’’ Stiles said quietly, kissing Derek softly on the lips as they waited for the ship to arrive at the dock. Once the ship docked, the crew set a large, wooden ramp connecting the ship and the dock to allow the passengers to exit. Stiles kept to the back of the crowd as people walked off the ship, keeping Derek in mind as the dock quickly became crowded. Stiles spotted the Maestor walking his way, squeezing Derek’s hand for a bit of last minute luck.

“Grand Maestor, it is an honor to meet you,” Stiles greeted, bowing low. Now that the maestor was closer, Stiles was able to get a better look at him and he was surprised at how young he was. If Stiles was being completely honest, he would have to say that the maestor was rather handsome. He was a bit short for Stiles’ taste, but he clearly kept himself fit.

“Lord Stilinski, the honor is all mine,” the maestor responded, mirroring Stiles’ bow. “I apologize but the trip here was a bit tiring and I’d like to settle in. Would you be opposed to meeting a little later?”

“Not at all. Did you have a place in mind?”

“There is a quaint little café in the heart of town-

“Isaac’s?”

“You know the place?”

“Oh yes, Derek and I frequent Isaac’s more than we’d care to admit. Oh, by the way, this is Derek.”

“Of course, where are my manners? It is a pleasure to meet you Lord Hale,” he said, holding out his hand.

“The pleasure is mine,” Derek said warmly, shaking the maestor’s hand firmly.

“Well, I look forward to getting better acquainted at Isaac’s. I apologize for cutting this short. It was an honor meeting you both. Until then,” he said, bowing low before walking towards the city, his guards surrounding him as they left.

**

“I still cannot get over your triumph in the championship match, Lord Stilinski,” said Maestor Mika as he took a sip of his drink.  


“It was a long time coming,” Stiles said cheerfully. “The last time we made it to the championship game, we didn’t do as well.” Stiles looked to Derek who smirked.

“That’s right- Derek, you play for the Abes.”

“Yes, sir.”

“How did you two play against each other and still come out partners on the other side?” Stiles looked to Derek, who couldn’t stop smiling at him.

“Well, we weren’t officially together until after that match. We decided to wait so that our feelings wouldn’t hinder our ability to play. The rest, as they say, is history.” Stiles squeezed Derek’s hand under the table, turning his attention to the maestor, who smiled warmly at the pair.

“That’s wonderful. Now, I hate to turn the conversation dark, but, it has been almost ten years since we’ve seen Sin. I know you completed your pilgrimage already. Do you plan to fight Sin should it reappear?”

It was Derek’s turn to squeeze Stiles’ hand reassuringly under the table. Stiles inhaled deeply before answering the maestor.

“Yes. Between us three, I was visited by the Fayth and they believe Sin will reappear very soon. I plan to make the journey to Yunalesca tomorrow morning.” The maestor put his fork down and clasped his hands together, letting them rest on the table, a look of sadness on his face.

“Yes, well, I humbly thank you for your sacrifice for the people of Spira. It will not go unforgotten, I assure you.”

“Thank you, maestor.” They shared an awkward silence for a few minutes, Stiles nibbling on his sandwich halfheartedly.

“The celebration tonight should be the best one yet,” Derek said suddenly in an attempt to alleviate the negative thoughts circling them.

“I look forward to them, yes,” the maestor replied. “Being that it is the tenth anniversary since Lady Yocun made her sacrifice, I feel it is fitting that you shall be making the same sacrifice in due time.”

“I heard the city has a lot of fireworks this year. It should be quite a show.” Just then, Isaac came up to the table.

“How is everything over here?”

“The food is exceptional, as always. If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I will take care of the check and then I need to meet with a few people before the day is over.” Stiles and Derek rose as the maestor stood, bowing to him.

“It has been a pleasure, Lord Mika,” Stiles said softly.

“May Yevon be with you both,” Maestor Mika said, bowing to them before following Isaac to the counter.

Derek slid his fingers together with Stiles’, squeezing them gently. Stiles leaned into him, sighing heavily as he closed his eyes. The pair stood in the café for a few minutes before leaving.

**

The fireworks show was spectacular.

They rivaled the fireworks used for the championship match. Stiles blocked the rest of the world out as he watched the streaks of light fly through the sky, flinching only slightly as they exploded seconds later. The finale was breathtaking. The seemingly endless barrage of exploding lights dulling Stiles’ senses and making the world fade away.

As the finale came to an end, Stiles removed his shirt, kissing Derek softly before making his way out to the ocean.

The water was cold as it wrapped around his ankles but Stiles ignored it. He looked to his left, watching as his fellow summoners lined the shore. To his right, the same was happening. They were all waiting for his cue to begin.

Stiles looked towards the sky.

The moon was full and the stars were twinkling brightly. Stiles gave himself ten seconds before he walked out onto the water, turning around to face the shore as he began dancing.

The Fayth heard his call, pyre flies circling him as he rose into the air. The other summoners began their dances, the ocean lighting up with thousands of pyre flies. Stiles felt his entire body come to life. His heart raced in his chest and he felt moisture in his eyes.

Stiles prayed to the Fayth.

He wanted the world to be rid of Sin. He wanted his sacrifice tomorrow to be the last sacrifice anyone had to make for Spira. No one should have to end their life so that others can survive.

Stiles finished dancing as he floated back down. Without fail, Derek was there to embrace him. His arms were strong and gentle, reassuring, exactly what Stiles needed.

**

Despite being on his feet all day, Stiles was anything but exhausted when he and Derek finally made it home. The pair kicked off their shoes by the front door before they made their way to the bedroom. Stiles flipped the light on as Derek sat on the edge of the bed, watching him, a playful twinkle in his eye. Stiles smiled right back, fingers coming up to dance in Derek’s hair as he bent down to capture his lips.

Stiles tasted the faintest bit of salt on Derek’s lips, moaning into the other man’s mouth as he felt Derek’s hands slide under his shirt, fingers grasping at skin. Stiles pulled away, licking his lips as he made to unbutton his shirt, Derek mirroring his movement. Neither one of them was in a rush, their movements slow, calculated. Stiles pulled his shirt off, tossing it on the floor next to him, moving close to Derek again, gently lowering him back onto the bed.

Derek watched as Stiles’ obscene fingers undid his pants, sliding them off of him in one swift movement. Stiles’ gaze never left Derek as he groped him through his underwear, Derek getting harder by the second. Stiles abandoned Derek’s cock and slid up on top of him, trailing his tongue all the way up his torso, Derek gladly laying his head back for Stiles, presenting his neck. Stiles nipped at the vein protruding below his chin, making Derek hiss.

“You’re, unf, not as naked as I am,” Derek said between breaths as Stiles continued sinking his teeth into his skin. Stiles laughed against his skin, Derek enjoying the feel of his hot breath on his skin. “Why is that?” Stiles lifted himself up, pushing Derek’s hands above his head, smiling down at him the way he _knew_ made Derek weak.

“We are going to take our time tonight. You’ve been such a good boy today, Derek, and you are going to be rewarded,” he said in the best sexy voice he could manage before seizing Derek’s lips again.

Just as Stiles moved off of Derek, there was a knock at the door.

Stiles and Derek shared a look of confusion.

“I’ll get it,” Stiles said.

When he opened the door, Stiles was surprised to see Scott standing there, hands in his pockets, his patented slack-jawed sheepish grin on full blast.

“Scott?”

“I know it’s late, but I wanted to talk to you and Derek.” Stiles looked towards the bedroom.

“Uh, well, now isn’t the best time.” Scott removed his hands from his pockets, his expression turning serious. It’s as if Scott knew what they were doing. As if he had planned to come over knowing that tonight would be there last night together and yet he still came over. What was his deal?

“Look, I just wanted to- I know what’s happening tomorrow, and I know the implications behind everything and I just wanted to be with you tonight,” he rambled on, eyes never leaving Stiles’ gaze. Just then, Derek came out from the bedroom, wearing nothing but his underwear. “We started this thing together and I’ll be damned if we don’t finish it together.”

“Is everything okay out here?” Derek asked quietly, Scott taking a moment to take in the almost naked Derek before him.

“I don’t understand, Scott.”

“I think you do, Stiles and I know you might think it’s weird but it’s what I want- if that’s okay with you two,” he added hurriedly, reverting back to his sheepish stature. Stiles looked to Scott, then to Derek, who had his arms crossed, sending a rush of blood south. Well, at least his dick was interested in what was going in.

“So, you want to, I mean, you-

“He wants to have sex with us, Stiles,” Derek said quietly, making Scott blush. “It is a little weird, but I see what he means.” Stiles stared at Scott as Derek spoke. “You guys have practically grown up together, you both joined the temple, he helped you through the roughest time in your life and now you’re reaching the end and he wants to be with you, however possible. It just shows how much he cares for you, which is very admirable.”

It was Stiles’ turn to blush.

“Is that true, Scott?” Scott merely nodded, the edge of his lips rising into a smile.

“It’s not like we haven’t done it before,” Scott said suddenly, trying his best to lighten the mood.

“Really?” Derek asked, finding it hard to keep from smiling.

“I was drunk and you were _very_ persuadable,” Stiles said quickly.

“This should be interesting,” Derek said quietly as Stiles moved closer to Scott, hand coming up to grab his hand. Stiles searched his eyes for a reason not to do what he was about to do but Scott stared at Stiles with the intensity of the sun- undeterred and bright.

Stiles kissed Scott then, inhaling deeply. Scott smelled like fire and the sea, an odd mixture but it was sending all the right signals to all the right places. When he pulled away, he laughed when he saw Scott’s eyes were still closed.

“Last chance to turn back,” he said softly, squeezing Scott’s hand lightly.

“Not gonna happen,” Scott returned, eyes sparkling.

“I appreciate this, Scott. As much as I’m kind of weirded out by it, I can’t deny that tonight should be _very_ fun.”

“What are we waiting for then?” came Derek’s voice, the hint of a smile tugging at his mouth. Stiles guided Scott back to the bedroom, helping him out of his shirt and pants. He took off his own pants before the three of them were all taking up space on the bed.

Stiles thought that Scott would be the odd man out in this scenario, that he would wait to be told what to do but to his amazement, it was like Scott had been with he and Derek for the entire length of their relationship. Scott settled at the top of the bed, holding his hand out for Stiles. The two locked lips again, Stiles melting into Scott’s side as Derek settled between Scott’s legs.

Derek ran his hands up the insides of Scott’s legs, nails biting into his skin, making him grunt. Stiles pulled away from Scott, staring down at Derek as he began palming Scott through his underwear.

“You know,” Stiles said softly in Scott’s ear, breath hot against his skin. “Most people wouldn’t guess how much Derek loves sucking cock,” he continued, nipping at Scott’s ear lobes. Derek reached for the band of Scott’s underwear, sliding them off of him, Scott’s cock springing free. Stiles was mesmerized as he watched Derek begin to stroke Scott, slow, tantalizing.

Stiles heard Scott’s breath become uneven as Derek licked at his balls. Stiles turned Scott’s attention away, seizing his lips once again. Scott was a great kisser. He wasn’t forceful, but he knew when to give and take. Derek must have started sucking him off because Scott was a mess, moaning into Stiles’ mouth with earnest. Stiles found himself lost in Scott’s face, but eventually he pulled away to watch Derek.

Derek was very skillful at giving him. He could almost feel Derek’s mouth around his own cock as he watched Derek’s head bob up and down on Scott. Derek pulled away suddenly and stood before sliding his underwear off. Stiles followed suit, Scott giving him a helping hand as he awkwardly slid his off and tossed them to the floor.

“Your turn, Stiles,” Derek said, gesturing to Scott. Stiles flashed a smile to Scott before slinking down between his legs. Derek then settled behind Stiles, a gentle hand sliding up his leg, settling on his ass. Stiles stared up at Scott before sliding his tongue along the underside of his cock, absolutely loving the sound that came out of his mouth. As Stiles took Scott into his mouth, he felt Derek’s tongue on his ass, making his body come alive. He moaned around Scott’s cock, finding it hard to keep the noises from escaping his mouth as he felt a finger press inside him. Scott pulled Stiles off of his cock and kissed him- seriously, why hasn’t he been kissing Scott more often? Granted, he does have a girlfriend and two kids but still- what the hell?

Derek pressed a second finger in next to the first, teeth nipping at the lobes of Stiles’ ass, making his body quake. Scott did his best to swallow down Stiles’ moans. Stiles came up for air, resting his head against Scott’s forehead.

“Want- mmff- you to fuck me- fuck, Derek!” Derek pressed a third finger inside and Stiles was a mess. Scott looked to Derek who was staring right back at him as he massaged Stiles’ insides. Scott kissed Stiles once more before he shuffled off the bed, coming up behind Derek, admiring his insanely fit body. He took notice to the small ring wrapped around Derek’s cock (which, by the way, was bigger than any cock he’s ever seen, though, admittedly, he’d only seen his own and Stiles). Derek leaned into Scott, inhaling as he kissed up his neck, sliding his tongue over his jawline.

“If you fuck him good, I’ll let you fuck me next,” Derek promised softly in his ear, nipping at his jaw. Derek grabbed the bottle of lube next to him and slicked Scott’s fingers, removing his slowly, making Stiles shudder. Derek grabbed the back of Scott’s neck briefly, bringing him in for a sloppy kiss before crawling up to Stiles. Scott then noticed the faintest black line leading from the cock ring to his ass and his dick twitched at the realization that Derek had a plug in.

How long had he been wearing it?

Derek settled in above Stiles, spreading his legs wide. Scott watched as Stiles grabbed the base of his cock and started licking up and down the shaft. His ass twitched at the thought of that enormous cock inside him. Scott moved his fingers in and out of Stiles for a few more moments before reaching for the lube. He slicked his cock, adding some more to Stiles’ hole. Both Stiles and Derek were looking at him now as he lined his cock up with Stiles’ hole, pushing ever so slowly inside of him.

The friction was unbelievable.

Stiles was so tight and hot and wet. Scott was briefly transported back to the hotel room in Luca where he and Stiles had a one-night fling. Stiles opened up for Scott so well, he had a hard time keeping his orgasm from coming to soon. He focused on the sounds Stiles was making, which might not have been the best thing to do.

Stiles held nothing back, his voice echoing off the walls as Scott pushed all the way in. He lowered himself over Stiles’ back, kissing his shoulder blades. He waited until Stiles started to gyrate his hips to move. He thrust his hips in and out slowly, reveling in the feel of Stiles’ insides. Stiles had taken Derek’s cock back in his mouth, his noises muffled yet still present as Scott picked up his pace, sliding all the way out and slamming back in.

Scott grabbed Stiles’ waist in a death grip as he piston fucked him. He felt his entire body come alive then as his orgasm built from his toes, settling in the pit of his stomach. He was so close, just a few more-

“Stop,” came Derek’s voice, making Scott seize his movements. Stiles moaned beneath him as he pushed back on his cock, making Scott hiss. He pulled all the way out, Stiles whimpering at the loss.

“Not yet, Scott.” Derek motioned for Stiles to flip on his back, which he did so begrudgingly. Scott saw Stiles’ face was flushed, the pink hue reaching down his neck, settling around his collar bones. Stiles was hard and leaking onto his stomach. Scott watched as Stiles lazily began jerking himself, eyes locked with Scott the entire time.

“Can I say that Allison is one lucky girl,” Stiles said playfully, laughing as Scott smiled.

“The same can be said for you, I mean, have you _seen_ Derek’s cock?”

“Several times, in several places and positions,” Stiles retorted, winking as Derek mounted him, blocking him from view. Derek kissed Stiles then, sliding his tongue over his lips quickly. Derek settled over Stiles then, keeping the brunt of his weigh off of him as he lifted his ass in the air for Scott. Scott inhaled sharply, finally able to see the jet black plug against Derek’s hole.

“He doesn’t do this often, Scotty, so you should feel honored.” Derek silenced him with his mouth, which, of course, didn’t bother Stiles. He loved kissing Derek. Loved feeling the slight burn of his stubble rub against his mouth.

Scott was cautious as he grabbed at Derek’s ass, fingers digging greedily into the meat of it before he tentatively pushed against the plug. Derek reacted almost instantly, moaning into Stiles’ mouth. Scott was a little more confident as he pulled at the plug, watching as Derek visibly shook. Scott pulled the plug out a little bit, twisting it in his fingers before pushing it back in. Derek was cursing into the mattress. Stiles was rubbing his hands gently up and down his back, whispering softly into his ear.

Scott couldn’t hear what he was saying but continued fucking Derek with the plug. He pulled the plug almost all the way out before pushing it back in, loving how easily Derek was taking it. Scott fucked him in earnest before long, moving the plug in and out quickly before pulling the plug out entirely. He gently maneuvered the toy off Derek, sliding the ring off gently. Derek went a little soft, which worked in their favor.

Once the ring was off, Scott tossed the toy on the floor, quickly lubing his fingers before pushing two in right away, his dick twitching at the sound Derek made. He moved his fingers around inside Derek, twisting and scissoring them until he couldn’t wait anymore. He lined himself up with Derek’s hole and pushed all the way inside, causing Derek to yell into the mattress.

“I gotcha, Derek,” Stiles said softly in his ear, fingers continuing their gentle movements over his back. Scott fucked Derek with earnest, unable to control himself. He grabbed onto Derek’s waist and was relentless. Stiles kissed Derek quickly before positioning himself under Derek’s cock, briefly watching Scott fuck him before taking him in his mouth.

Stiles moaned around Derek’s cock as Scott continued fucking him. Derek swore profusely at the dual sensations, finding it harder to keep himself up.

Stiles could feel Derek’s body start to tense up, his orgasm soon to follow. Scott kept his pace above him, his moans adding to the mix of sounds filling up the room until he settled deep into Derek, his orgasm sending Derek over the edge. Stiles relaxed his jaw as Derek came in his mouth. Stiles did his best to catch every last drop. He slid off of Derek’s cock, a line of spit and cum connecting them briefly before he wiped his mouth.

Stiles’ cock was painfully hard and leaking and Derek was the first to do something about it. He took Stiles into his mouth, his right hand jerking quickly under it. Stiles closed his eyes, feeling his orgasm build in his toes. He yelled out when he finally came, Derek swallowing it all up. Derek cleaned Stiles’ cock off before pulling him up to him, kissing him gently, their tongue sliding into each other as they tasted themselves on each other’s tongues.

“Fuck, that’s hot,” Scott said breathlessly at the edge of the bed. Derek held his hand out for him, pulling him into the kiss. The three of them laid there for what seemed like forever as they made out.

**

Stiles woke in the middle of the night.

He was grateful that he was closest to the edge of the bed so he wouldn’t disturb Scott or Derek as he quietly slid out of place.

Walking into the kitchen, he grabbed a glass and filled it with water, slowly sipping it as he sat down on the sofa.

Stiles knew that he would no longer exist in the world after he reached the temple. He thought that he was comfortable with the idea that he was going to die but as he sat there, he had a hard time wrapping his head around the concept.

Is there anything after death? Sure, there’s the FarPlane, but what’s that like? Obviously there was nobody he could talk to.

Maybe he might come back as a Fayth and help the next summoner complete their pilgrimage.

Moments later, Stiles heard someone walking out of the bedroom.

“Oh, hey Scotty.”

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked as he yawned.

“Not really.”

“I don’t blame you.”

Scott sat next to Stiles, flashing him his patented smile before throwing his arm around his shoulder. Stiles welcomed the embrace, sighing as he melted into Scott’s side. Stiles rested his hand on Scott’s leg, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb in circles.

“Do you think there’s anything after death, Scotty?”

“I don’t think anyone can answer that, bud.” Scott turned to Stiles then and stared into his eyes. “I just want you to know that I admire what you’re doing. You putting your life before the entire world is so selfless. I am so glad that I met you all that time ago in Macalania.” Stiles felt his heart race as moisture gathered in his eyes.

“You mean the world to me, Scotty, and I’m going to miss you so much.” Stiles pulled Scott in close as tears rushed out of his eyes. Stiles held onto Scott for what seemed like forever before pulling away. Scott gently wiped the tears from his face before his hands settled at the base of his neck. Scott’s thumb gently massaged the spot just under Stiles’ chin.

The pair stared at each other until Scott pulled Stiles in, kissing him softly on the lips.

Something inside Stiles screamed out.

There was a feeling inside him that came alive and he couldn’t understand what it was. His heart beat quickened even more as Scott deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding over Stiles’ lips, seeking entrance. Stiles lost control of himself and swung his leg over Scott’s lap, mounting him. He gladly opened his mouth to let Scott in, their tongue sliding together as if they were made for this.

Stiles shamelessly grinded down on Scott, the latter bucking his hips to meet him. Stiles pulled away suddenly, Scott biting down on his lower lips, leaving him looking disheveled and numb. Stiles searched Scott’s eyes for a sign to stop- anything to let him know that this isn’t what he wanted.

Stiles briefly thought of Derek in the next room. Derek- who he spent years with building a relationship- falling in love with this man. All of that crashing down around him as he sat there, Scott’s cock rubbing against his ass.

“Just say the word,” Scott said, voice deep and low, his pupils blown. Stiles seized his lips again, this time chastely before pulling away long enough to spit in his hand and slick Scott up. Stiles lifted himself up enough to guide himself onto Scott’s cock.

As he felt Scott fill him, he let his forehead fall onto Scott’s neck. Scott fucked up into Stiles, using both hands to spread his cheeks apart. Stiles bit down on his shoulder as Scott’s cock rubbed over his prostate.

“You feel so good Stiles- all hot and wet,” Scott nearly growled in his ear. Stiles began fucking himself then, holding onto Scott as he lifted himself up until just the tip of Scott was inside him and then slamming himself all the way down.

The two of them went at it until Stiles felt his entire body start to seize, the most intense orgasm rolling over him, making him see spots. Scott thrust up into Stiles, throwing his head back as he came. Stiles kissed him hard, silencing his scream as he swiveled his hips, making Scott shudder.

“I love you, Scotty.”

“I love you, too.”

**

The next morning, Stiles, Derek, and Scott had showered, eaten breakfast and were out of the house before the sun came up. Stiles and Derek had quietly said their goodbyes to their home, which they gave to Scott and Allison- they were going to need the space with two kids. They were giving fifteen percent of their life savings to the stadium and the blitz league, twenty-five percent to the temples in Spira, and the rest to Scott and Allison.

The journey to the temple where Lady Yunalesca waited was going to be a long, arduous journey, but Stiles was ready. He was ready for whatever she could throw at them.

It wasn’t enough that summoners had to journey throughout Spira and pray at every temple. No. Lady Yunalesca test summoners on the last leg of their journey. She sends enormous, ferocious beasts their way to test not only their battle prowess but also their conviction.

As the group journeyed, they came across markers along the road. They were small monuments erected in honor of the summoners and guardians who had fallen. They were similar to the ones on Mt. Gagazet, which is one of the most dangerous places in Spira. Not just the presence of fiends threatened summoners but the sheer temperatures and terrain made it a difficult journey.

Stiles prayed at each and every marker as they passed.

It wasn’t until about mid-day when they encountered their first fiend- a **Behemoth**.

The behemoth was lying in the middle of the road about one hundred feet in front of them. Its purple fur blew gracefully in the sudden gust of wind and its horns looked extremely sharp. Stiles unfastened his staff from his back and looked to Scott, who unsheathed his sword and held it firmly in his hands. Derek had no weapon other than his influence over fiends but Stiles knew that the behemoth wouldn’t take lightly to someone trying to control it.

“I want you to stay back at first, Derek. I suspect he won’t let us sneak by- that’d be too easy. A Behemoth will summon lightning, so be cautious.” Derek nodded his head.

Stiles walked next to Scott, casting white magic with every step. Shields. Nullification spells. Anything that would give them the slightest edge. He made sure to shield Derek as well, focusing on his aura behind him as well. Scott lifted his blade to his mouth, whispering over it before it as enveloped with water.

They were ready.

Or so they thought.

Just then, a pack of giant dogs erupted from the tree line next to them, circling them. Derek came running, throwing his hand in the air. Stiles didn’t wait for him to finish before he ran for the nearest dog, smacking it away with his staff. He focused his energy and summoned fire to the tips of his fingers before sending it flying towards another dog.

Scott had taken his turn to quickly dispose of the dogs on his side with his sword- their yelps of pain travelling through the sky. Derek had finally gotten into the fight with a dog and was beating it with his bare hands, which, _hello-_ sexy as hell. Then, a large Zu came flying into the mix, scratching at a dog that leapt towards Stiles, successfully vanquishing it. Just as the last dog was killed, Stiles knew they weren’t done. The noise they made travelled up to the behemoth who began to stir.

Stiles quickly lifted his staff towards the sky, praying to the Fayth for help.

“Stand back!” Stiles yelled as the sky darkened suddenly, bolts of lightning surrounding his body. He channeled the lightning to the tip of his staff and directed it overhead. A portal appeared that oozed electricity, moments later, the aeon Ixion appearing in the fight.

“Ixion, I ask that you lend us your strength. If the behemoth should try to summon electricity, please deflect it.” Ixion bowed his head low before whinnying loudly. It charged at the behemoth and Stiles followed after. Scott was used to fighting with Stiles’ aeons by now and he was hacking away at the behemoth with grace, moving out of the way of Ixion when he needed to.

Derek called out to his Zu and it flew in from above, using its sharp talons to try and gauge out the behemoth’s eyes- he wasn’t having any one it. Before anyone could react, a bolt of lightning struck the Zu, causing it to explode in pyre flies. Ixion took notice and charged, its large horn aimed right for the behemoth’s underside.

Stiles took this moment to lift his staff and channel some light magic. He called upon the power of the heavens and struck the behemoth with blinding light- just the distraction they needed as Ixion practically skewered the beast. The behemoth cried out as it collapsed to the ground.

“Derek, Scott, to me, now!” Stiles thrust his staff in the ground, collecting all the magic he could. “Thank you, Ixion, for your help!” he said quickly before casting a protective shield around all three of them. Ixion bowed his head again before he cantered off into the distance, disappearing in the trees. Just then, meteors began falling from the sky. Scott grabbed Stiles’ staff as well, fusing their magic together, making their barrier stronger as they waited out the shower.

“Cheap trick,” Derek said, a little breathless as he sat on the ground.

“People sometimes forget that they summon a meteor shower when they die,” Stiles said lightly, wincing a bit as a meteor struck their shield directly above them.

“Quick thinking, man,” Scott said as he, too, sat on the ground, hand still wrapped around Stiles’ staff. Once the shower stopped, Stiles lowered the shield.

“I don’t even want to know what’s coming next,” Scott said to himself as he walked in front of Stiles and Derek. Stiles fastened his staff to his back before walking next to Derek.

“How are you?” Derek asked quietly as he twined their fingers together.

“Good. My head’s a little fuzzy but it will pass. What about you? I know how much you cared for that Zu.”

“She knew the risks,” he said simply, squeezing Stiles’ hand for good measure.

An hour passed before they came across another fiend.

“I’m not taking any chances with this one. Stand back.” Stiles pulled his staff from his back and held it out in front of himself. “This will alert the flan, so be prepared. Remember, elemental attacks don’t work well on him, so we’ll be in for a tough fight once it knows we’re here.”

Stiles scanned the area for any rogue fiends hiding in the bushes.

“Alright, we’re clear- and here it comes. Remember what I said!” Stiles shouted as, once again, he called to the Fayth, this time calling for Bahamut. Scott and Derek met the flan, Scott wasting no time at all before hacking away at it. Stiles felt a swell of pride when he saw Scott summon a bit of light magic around his blade.

Stiles pictured the small boy whom he has shared many dreams with in his life. Moments later there was a distant cry above them, a sign that Bahamut was on its way. The sky opened up then, the clouds parting for the massive aeon that opened its mouth and screeched.

“Derek! Scott! Move!” Stiles yelled as he took cover behind the tree line.

Bahamut was ruthless as he sent balls of energy toward the flan, each one erupting on impact. As he landed on the ground, Bahamut dug his claws into the earth, the large disk settled in the center of his back began rotating. Stiles watched as a ball of energy formed in front of Bahamut’s mouth. Stiles’ ears popped when the energy was finally released. The flan let out an ear-piercing noise as it exploded in pyre flies.

Stiles approached Bahamut then, gently placing his hand on the aeon’s head. He closed his eyes and thanked him (more specifically, the Fayth who he has spent many nights together in his dreams). Stiles backed away from him as he ascended back towards the clouds.

“Well he’s handy in a scrap,” Scott said lightly as he stretched, smiling playfully at Stiles.

“Yeah. We should rest a little before moving on. I have a hunch that we’re almost to the temple and there is no doubt in my mind that Yunalesca has something much more powerful than that flan waiting for us.”

Derek and Scot agreed as the three of them set up camp on the side of the path. Derek had gone into the woods and gathered up scrap wood to start a fire while Scott and Stiles rummaged through their packs for food.

The sun began its descent over the horizon, Stiles watching the sky turn a magnificent orange color. Derek was laying down with his head on Stiles’ lap, the latter’s fingers running through Derek’s hair lazily. Scott was also staring up at the sky, no doubt thinking about Allison and his kids back home.

They all sat in silence as the sun tucked itself under the horizon.

**

Stiles dreamt of the Fayth again that night. Only this time, he was standing on the shores of Zanarkand while he watched himself dance in remembrance of Lady Yocun’s triumph over Sin. The Fayth who had frequented his dreams sat on the edge of the shoreline, water washing up around him as the ride moved in and out. Stiles walked up to him, but did not sit. He felt the cool chill of the ocean water hit his feet, a little scared at how real the water felt.

“You are close now,” the Fayth said quietly.

“Yes.”

“Are you scared?”

“No,” Stiles said without hesitation. “I’ve come to realize that there are worse things in this world than dying.”

“Like what?”

“Living in a world ruled by something like Sin. Knowing that even though we may be at peace for a certain amount of time; that peace will eventually come to an end. Death is the ultimate peace.”

“She will be waiting for you at the temple tomorrow. Great danger awaits you, though. Will you call us?”

“If you will answer, yes.”

“We will all answer your call, Lord Stiles. Until then,” the Fayth finished as he stood and walked out into the ocean. Stiles watched the Fayth with a sense of relief.

It will all be over soon.

**

“We won’t be needing anything after this point,” Stiles said as the group started packing up. The tension was extremely palpable then as Derek and Scott turned their attention to Stiles. “Other than my staff, your sword, and Derek’s ring, we don’t need to bring anything today.”

The realization must have hit Derek and Scott both.

“Alright,” Scott said a little too enthusiastically, if Stiles was being honest. He knew, though, that Scott as trying to keep the conversation light. Derek removed the pack he threw over his shoulders and tossed it to the ground.

“We can at least bring water,” he said as he pulled a large bottle out of the bag. Stiles smiled as he turned and looked over his shoulder, gazing over the horizon. He could barely see the tip of the tallest building in Zanarkand.

“What should we do with everything, then?” Scott asked as he gathered all of their belongings into one pile.

“Burn it?” Stiles suggested.

“I can always bury everything and grab them on my-

Scott stopped mid-sentence, realizing what he was about to say.

“Shit, I’m sorry-

“Scott, you’re fine. That’s a great idea,” Stiles interjected quickly. Derek turned to Scott.

“We’ve both come to terms with what’s going to happen today, Scott. So, don’t feel bad- please.” Scott glanced between the pair of them before resigning, his shoulders slumping as he snapped his fingers. A small hole appeared in the ground at their feet. Scott settled their belongings in the hole before pushing the loose dirt over the hole. Stiles came up next to him, placing a consoling hand on his shoulder, squeezing for good measure before he, too, snapped his fingers. Only this time, a small marker appeared out of thin air. He grabbed it and skewered it into the ground, marking where their belongings were.

“Thanks,” Scott said softly, his voice thick with emotion.

“Of course, Scotty. Now, shall we get going?”

Stiles looked back one more time as Scott and Derek began walking towards the temple. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

As he opened his eyes, he bowed, sending a silent prayer to the Fayth. He prayed that once he has made his sacrifice that no other person would have to suffer at the hands of Sin.

**

“Scotty, move!” Stiles yelled as he thrust his staff forward, a bolt of lightning erupting from the end of it. The bolt hit its target, but the effect was not what Stiles was hoping for.

“Stiles, an aeon would be really helpful right about now!” Scott yelled back as he moved back in to hack at the large beast before them.

Stiles had never seen anything like it. The thing was enormous- at least forty feet tall (on its hind legs) with about nine tails, claws that would shred even the strongest piece of metal and a disk shaped limb that glowed. Lady Yunalesca definitely had an interesting taste in monsters. Stiles watched as Derek ran up to the beast next to a large simurgh, this one jet black unlike those in the wild. Derek mimicked the simurgh as they both scratched at the beast.

Derek had developed an interesting ability about five years ago.

He was able to morph his body to mimic any beast that he was able to conjure. It was pretty interesting. It was also mortifying when his body parts would shift and become something inhuman.

Stiles raised his staff in the air, heeding Scott’s words as he called the Fayth for help. He focused all of his energy in calling forth the Magus Sisters. Summoning the Magus Sisters took an extreme amount of power and Stiles was in pain as the sisters appeared and rushed into battle alongside Derek and Scott.

Derek took notice to Stiles almost collapsing to the ground and was at his side in a flash.

“What can I do?” he asked as he threw his arm around Stiles, the battle all but forgotten.

“I just need a few moments,” Stiles answered breathlessly. Stiles watched as the Magus Sisters and Scott (the simurgh was unaware of the large tail that came down and smacked it out of the sky, successfully sending it to the FarPlane) fought their hardest. Stiles felt his power come back to him little by little and was able to stand.

One of the Magus Sisters came up beside him and touched his shoulder, smiling gently at him as her hand began to glow. Stiles felt a rush of energy flow through him, making him feel one hundred percent better.

“Thank you,” he said as he stretched. He grabbed his staff and rushed towards the fight. Stiles kept his distance, casting protective shields and healing magic every now and then. The sisters were starting to weaken and Scott looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion when Stiles lifted his staff towards the sky.

“Move!” he yelled before pooling energy at the tip of his staff, calling down a ray of continuous light to blind the beast long enough for Scott to get to safety. “Sisters, thank you for your help!” The three sisters bowed their heads and disappeared. Stiles felt his energy draining but he pushed the pain aside.

“Tend to Scott,” he told Derek as he thrust his staff in the ground. Derek didn’t question Stiles as he ran to Scott, pulling him to safety. Stiles lifted his hands towards the sky, the clouds parting as he felt a chill run up his spine. He was calling Shiva, his very first aeon to help him. She answered his call as three large crystals crashed into the ground in front of him. Shiva burst from the crystals, taking stock of what was occurring.

“Lady Shiva, I am in need of your assistance one last time. Will you help me?” Shiva bowed to Stiles, the latter nodding his thanks in return. Stiles grabbed his staff, successfully stopping the light magic from raining down on the beast. Stiles wasted no time calling forth his magic once more, ignoring the twinge in his stomach that made him want to hurl.

“Together, Lady Shiva!” Stiles yelled over the roar of the beast who charged at them suddenly. Stiles mirrored Shiva’s movements as they simultaneously called upon the power of ice. The ground around them began to freeze over, the temperature dropping drastically. Stiles was used to the cold, having lived in Macalania most of his life. He breathed through the pain and pushed his staff out towards the beast at the same time Shiva sent a sheet of ice rushing towards it.

The beast was frozen in its tracks, the entire area around them (including the trees) were covered in a thick sheet of ice. Stiles made sure to keep Scott and Derek from harm and when he saw they were not affected by the ice, he let out a rush of air he didn’t know he was holding. Stiles looked to Shiva.

“I would appreciate it if you would take care of this for me.” Shiva bowed once again before she glided over the ice towards the beast. Stiles carefully made his way over to Scott and Derek, making sure they were both alright. Once he knew they would be okay, he turned his attention back to Shiva just as he raised her right hand out in front of her.

Stiles had only ever seen Shiva use her full power once and combined with his own, he was taken aback at how much concentrated power he could feel in the area- especially in the ice that surrounded the beast. Shiva looked to Stiles one more time before she snapped her fingers and everything went white.

**

When Stiles came to, he was inside a building- no doubt the temple. He saw that Derek and Scott were just waking up as well. As he stood, he noticed a figure coming towards them from the distance. He made sure that everyone was alright before meeting the figure.

“Lord Stilinski, it is an honor to finally meet you and your guardians. You have made it to your final destination.” Stiles bowed low, Scott and Derek mirroring him. Standing (well, gliding, really- she is dead, after all) before them was Lady Yunalesca, the first summoner to defeat Sin. She and her husband, Lord Zion, fused together to perform the Final Summoning that gave them the power to defeat Sin. It is in this fashion that Stiles and Derek will imitate to defeat Sin.

“Lady Yunalesca, it is a privilege and an honor to meet you.”

“I trust you know what comes next, young summoner?”

“I do. Derek will be coming with me. I ask that you see Scott returns to Zanarkand safely.”

“If that is your wish. Sin is near, so we must make haste. When you are ready, meet me in the Chamber of the Fayth.” Stiles bowed once more before turning to Scott. He walked over to him, hands coming up to caress his face. Scott closed his eyes, leaning into the touch.

“We’ve already said our goodbyes, so I don’t want to drag this out. You will always be in my heart, Scott. You are my best friend, you are my brother. I love you.” Stiles kissed Scott gently on the lips. When he pulled away, Scott was silent as Stiles handed him his staff.

“Take this to Besaid for me?” Scott simply nodded as he took the staff. Stiles turned to Derek then and held out his hand.

“Ready?” Derek grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly as they walked into the Chamber of the Fayth.

**

Stiles focused all of his energy and prayed to the Fayth one last time.

He sat in darkness- there was no sound, no light around him as he prayed.

Then, one by one, the Fayth appeared.

In seconds, all around him sat the Fayth of his aeons. He looked around at them, smiling brightly as he began crying.

“I want to thank you all for everything you’ve helped me accomplish. Thank you for being a part of my story.”

**

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending was originally planned to be a bit longer with a section from Scott's perspective a year later but I decided to cut it. I really like this ending and I think that it is the perfect way to finish this story. I've put so much into it this and I hope you guys (and gals and everyone in between) can see that.


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